联合国秘书长潘基文2015年国际寡妇日致辞（中英对照）

Message on International Widows’ Day

国际寡妇日致辞

23 June 2015

2015年6月23日

Creating a world with greater equality for generations to come is the defining challenge of our times. This is especially urgent for women, who often experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. Their age, income, ethnicity, disabilities and other factors can put women at greater risk of injustice.

为子孙后代创建一个更为平等的世界，这是我们这个时代决定性的挑战。这一点对于常常遭受多重交叉歧视的妇女而言尤为紧迫。妇女的年龄、收入、族裔、残疾和其他因素都使其更易于遭受不公待遇。

Widows are particularly vulnerable. Many are aging and may not have worked outside of the home. The death of their partner can leave them in precarious living conditions, particularly in areas of conflict, natural disaster and humanitarian crisis.

寡妇则尤其容易受到伤害。她们许多人正在步入老年，而且从没有走出家庭的工作经历。配偶过世会使她们陷入朝不保夕的生活状况，在冲突地区、自然灾害和人道主义危机之中则尤为如此。

International Widows’ Day is an opportunity to assert the rights of those whose bereavement is followed by exclusion, abuse or the loss of homes, livelihoods and social standing.

国际寡妇日是为这些人伸张权利的一个机会，因为她们在丧失亲人之后，会受到排斥、虐待或是失去家园、生计和社会地位。

In societies that view women as whole only when they are married, widows are often disregarded or stigmatized. Without the economic and social protection of their husbands, many widows are treated as financial burdens by their families. They may lose their rights to inheritance and property, or even be forced out of their communities.

在将妇女结婚才视为完整的社会中，寡妇往往受人轻视或诋毁。没有丈夫的经济和社会保护，许多寡妇被视为家庭的财务负担。她们可能丧失继承权和财产权利，甚至会被迫离开自己的社区。

These human rights violations stem from the unjust view that women have diminished value. On International Widows’ Day, we reassert the equality of men and women.

这些侵犯人权行为源于关于妇女人微言轻的不公正看法。 在国际寡妇日之际，我们要重申男女平等。

The United Nations is working on specific measures that can help widows, and I urge other partners to join these efforts.

联合国正在制定对寡妇有所帮助的具体措施， 我敦促各个方面加入这项努力。

We must erase the social stigmatization and economic deprivation that confronts widows; eliminate their high risk of sexual abuse and exploitation; and remove the barriers to resources and economic opportunities that constrain their future. We also must advance widows’ equal rights to inheritance, property, land and other assets.

我们必须铲除寡妇所面临的社会耻辱和经济窘境；消除其受到性虐待和性剥削的高风险；并消除她们获得资源和经济机会的障碍，为她们打开无限的未来。 我们还必须促进寡妇在继承、财产、土地和其他资产方面的平等权利。

On International Widows’ Day, let us resolve to end discriminatory attitudes and take action to ensure that widows of all ages enjoy equal human rights, including the right to shape their own future and to participate fully in society. This will be an essential element in realizing our vision of a life of dignity for all.

在国际寡妇日这一天，我们要下决心消除歧视性观念，并采取行动确保各个年龄的寡妇都享有平等的人权，包括其决定自己未来和充分参与社会活动的权利。 这将是我们实现人人享有尊严生活这一理想的基本要素。