WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY:
CAMBODIA

UNIFEM WOMEN, WAR AND PEACE WEB PORTAL: CAMBODIA

" In many places, extraordinary situations have compelled women to endorse responsibilities, which up to then, were in male hands. How many widows and daughters have successfully taken over from a dead husband or father at the helm of enterprises, whether private corporations or political parties? Even more convincing was the whole movement for women empowerment, which emerged out of both world wars. Exceptional circumstances actually awake women, make them aware of their own value. They become more vocal and more successful in their demands for a greater participation in the decision-making process and for a fairer share of the benefits of economic growth. So, Cambodian leaders cannot use the argument of decades of war to justify the subservience of their female citizens."

Tioulong Saumura, Member of Parliament. June 2000

"I feel optimistic about Cambodia's future. Since 1993, hundreds of local NGOs have been established. Among them, many are women's NGOs dealing with human rights, education, information, health, development, religion, counseling, training, re-establishing traditional skills, crafts and arts and textiles. There is a woman trade union leader. We have established a women's group to fight and lobby against violence against women. There is a women's media centre, because at the moment, the ruling party runs national television and radio. We undertook research on rape. Until now, rape has been treated as a civil matter where the judge asks the perpetrator to pay the victim for his crime. We want rape to be criminalised. There is too much impunity for the trafficking of boys and girls. Women are also working to ensure that prostitutes get free medical care. We are working against corruption at all levels. We run seminars and advocate against delogging and toxic waste pollution. Thousands of women mobilised to act as observers during the elections. After the last elections in 1998, when demonstrations broke out, women were involved in saving and caring for people that were hurt and attacked. […] I like to think that we are building a genuine civil society-and with a genuine civil society must come a genuine democracy."

Dr Kek Galabru, President of the Cambodian League for the Promotion and Defense of Human Rights (LICADHO)