Considering Gender in Cambodia

Cord is working with the indigenous Cambodians of Ratanakiri to address equality issues between men and women.

Cambodia lags behind other countries in S E Asia on women’s rights (UN Report 2010) and no where more so than in this remote province on the NE border with Laos PDR and Vietnam. With their unique languages, rich cultural practices and traditional structures these remote rural  communities experience reduced access to land titles, high inflation, lack of access to goods and a  voice in decision making; all of which make gender equality way down their agenda.

Cord with partners Non-Timber Forest Products Organisation (NTFP) and Oxfam Hong Kong is completing a study aiming to bring about equal opportunities in the area.

"There is no word for ‘gender’ in the Khmer language. Cambodians borrow this word “gender” and there’s a risk that it means different things to different people," said Cord Country Director Keng BunChhoueth.

" 'Gender mainstreaming’ is a fancy way of describing an organisation’s commitment to considering deeply the ways in which every aspect of their work might impact both women and men. With Cord’s support, NTFP’s staff -the majority of them indigenous people- showed they are passionate about these issues," he added.

There are a number of challenges to resolve:
•    Indigenous women are rarely educated because their parents’ choose to make that a male privilege, there are few local schools or qualified teachers. Many can’t read or speak Khmer language.
•    They have less access to health care, particularly midwifery and are trapped in traditional roles as housewives, looking after the children and dependent on their men as breadwinners.
•    They remain unaware of their rights, are expected to respect their husbands wishes with the majority not allowed or motivated to go out of the home to participate in the community.
•    They lack the confidence to speak up in front of men and aren’t involved in decision-making. This often means that their roles as elders, traditional midwives, religious leaders, medicine women and holders of special knowledge and skills are ignored.

Although the government has promoted indigenous groups as a priority it has failed to do enough to preserve their identity, culture and diversity. The NTFP is making a start by ensuring that women are appropriately represented on their board and management and considering  setting targets for  recruiting female staff.