New research in India shows that children eat better when their mothers have more power, more education and are able to move about freely in the communities.

最新研究证明在印度妈妈们如果有更多的权利，受更好的教育并且可以自由在社区活动，这样她们的孩子吃的会相对好一点。

Researchers found that women who joined a job skills training program sought more in control at home and in their families, and children of these women ate more rice and dairy foods.

研究人员发现参加过相关工作技能培训的女人在家里会寻求更多的权利，这些人的孩子会吃更多的米饭和奶制品。

A program in southern India is called Mahila Samakhya. It brings women together to form local support groups. Researchers at the University of Illinois questioned if and how these groups effected the women's sense of themselves and their positions in the family.

印度南部有个组织叫做Mahila Samakhya。它组织女人团结起来建立了相互支持团队。伊利诺伊大学的研究人员们质疑是否这些团队会影响女性自身的意识和在她们家庭中的地位，如果是的话，那又如何影响。

Kathy Baylis is an economist at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. She led the study.

凯蒂贝丽思是伊利诺伊大学，农业，消费与环境科学学院的一位经济学家，她领导这次研究。

Ms Baylis says that before joining the peer groups, the women knew fewer than five other women who they were not related to. Ms Baylis adds that many of them did not know the possibilities for women in work and in family life.

贝丽思女士表示在加入这个同伴组织之前，这些女性认识的不相关女性少于5人。另外很多人对于工作和生活中许多的可能性也知之甚少。

She reads some of the comments from these women that show this way of thinking: "Before I was in the peer group, I didn't know I could stand up to my husband. I didn't know I could work outside the home or work outside the farm. I didn't know women were doctors and lawyers, etc., etc."

她读了一些女人的评论，她们是这样想的：“在我参加同伴组织之前，我不知道我还可以挺起腰板来面对我的丈夫。我不知道我可以离开家庭离开农场去参加工作。我不知道女人还可以做医生，做律师等等。”

Experts say 40 percent of Indian children under age five suffer from underfeeding. But Ms Baylis says, involvement in the support groups, led the women to provide better foods for their children.

专家称40%5岁以下的印度儿童都营养不良。但是贝丽思女士表示参加同伴组织使得女性可以为她们的孩子提供更好的食物。

Researchers visited the homes of those involved in the groups. They created a simple measuring process. They brought different size food bowls, and asked the mothers which size bowls they were using.

研究人员拜访了一些参加同伴组织的女性。他们创造了一种简单的测量方法。他们带来不同大小的餐具并且询问妈妈们她们在用哪种。

"And instead of trying to get people to recall exact number of cups or etc. that they were feeding their kids, we went and asked how many of these size bowls did your different kids get fed of rice and of dal and of various dairy products," said Baylis.

“我们并不是想让妈妈们回忆她们孩子在用的餐具确切的型号，而是想知道不同孩子用相关型号的餐具会吃几碗米饭，喝几碗汤，吃多少奶制品。”

Researchers confirmed that the children were eating better based on the size of bowl the mothers used. They found that girls especially started eating more.

研究人员发现孩子们吃的更好是基于妈妈们使用碗的规格。他们发现尤其女孩们吃的更多了。

Ms Baylis says the women also began to resist physical abuse from their husbands. The women threatened to report the violence of these men unless they stopped.

贝丽思女士说这些女性开始抵抗来自丈夫的家庭暴力。她们威胁会举报丈夫的暴力，除非他们停手。

The study is one of the first to show the effectiveness of Mahila Samakhya on female empowerment. The Indian central government established the program in 1995.

这次研究是Mahila Samakhya对女性赋予权利有效性的第一步。印度中央政府在1995年建立的这个组织。

A similar program in Bangladesh - SHOUHARDO has also had success. SHOUHARDO is the Bangla word for friendship. The non-profit organization CARE administer SHOUHARDO along with the Bangla government and US government's Food For Peace program.

在孟加拉国也有个类似的组织叫SHOUHARDO。也取得一定胜利。SHOUHARDO孟加拉语的意思是友谊。美国援外合作组织(简称CARE)，孟加拉国政府和美国粮食换和平计划署共同管理SHOUHARDO。

That's all from the Health Report. Stay tuned for more programme from VOA Learning English.

这就是健康报道的全部内容。欢迎继续收听美国之音英语教学的更多相关报道。
（本文由chinavoa.com翻译整理）

New research in India shows that children eat better when their mothers have more power, more education and are able to move about freely in the communities.

Researchers found that women who joined a job skills training program sought more in control at home and in their families, and children of these women ate more rice and dairy foods.

A program in southern India is called Mahila Samakhya. It brings women together to form local support groups. Researchers at the University of Illinois questioned if and how these groups effected the women's sense of themselves and their positions in the family.

Kathy Baylis is an economist at the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois. She led the study.

Ms Baylis says that before joining the peer groups, the women knew fewer than five other women who they were not related to. Ms Baylis adds that many of them did not know the possibilities for women in work and in family life.

She reads some of the comments from these women that show this way of thinking: "Before I was in the peer group, I didn't know I could stand up to my husband. I didn't know I could work outside the home or work outside the farm. I didn't know women were doctors and lawyers, etc., etc."

Experts say 40 percent of Indian children under age five suffer from underfeeding. But Ms Baylis says, involvement in the support groups, led the women to provide better foods for their children.

Researchers visited the homes of those involved in the groups. They created a simple measuring process. They brought different size food bowls, and asked the mothers which size bowls they were using.

"And instead of trying to get people to recall exact number of cups or etc. that they were feeding their kids, we went and asked how many of these size bowls did your different kids get fed of rice and of daal and of various dairy products," said Baylis.

Researches confirmed that the children were eating better based on the size of bowl the mothers used. They found that girls especially started eating more.

Ms Baylis says the women also began to resist physical abuse from their husbands. The women threatened to report the violence of these men unless they stopped.

The study is one of the first to show the effectiveness of Mahila Samakhya on female empowerment. The Indian central government established the program in 1995.

A similar program in Bangladesh - SHOUHARDO has also had success. SHOUHARDO is the Bangla word for friendship. The non-profit organization CARE administer SHOUHARDO along with the Bangla government and US government's Food For Peace program.

That's all from the Health Report. Stay tuned for more programme from VOA Learning English.