Forum highlights women’s burden

A women’s forum was held to shed light on the theme “The Women’s Burden”, highlighting the unique challenges and responsibilities faced by women in society.

The forum serves as part of the commemoration of the 114th International Women’s Day (IWD) to honour the bravery of women in their struggle for rights and freedom worldwide.

IWD is a global day commemorating women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements.

For centuries, women activists around the world have sacrificed their lives to push for women’s and girls’ rights and freedoms. Despite progress, efforts continue to challenge societal norms that perpetuate discrimination, power imbalances, and gender inequality.

The forum offered opportunities for women and local communities to voice their situation and needs, seeking possible solutions from stakeholders regarding issues such as the rise in violence, discrimination in the workplace, debt, food security and the impact of climate change.

Held yesterday in Phnom Penh, the forum drew participation from stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction, Ministry of Justice, representatives from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), and the deputy governors of Por Sen Chey and Daun Penh districts.

The forum also gathered about 300 attendees from various sectors, such as industrial workers, entertainment workers, community female representatives, and representatives from national and international partner organisations.

During the session, an entertainment worker who wished to remain anonymous shared her sorrowful experiences, such as being criminalised and arrested “I work as an entertainment worker to support my children.

Why did they arrest and detain me just because I was trying to work to be able to feed my family? I really don’t see anything wrong with me working using my own body; it should be my choice,” she said.

Sex workers still suffer discrimination, stigmatisation, and restrictions on their freedom to work. Some of their activities are even criminalised, putting them in unsafe working conditions and exposing them to threats, violence, arrests and detention.

Those working in entertainment venues face worsening working conditions and various forms of exploitation. Many of them work without contracts, receive little to no wages, experience arbitrary salary cuts by employers, and lose almost all the benefits they are legally entitled to.

Female workers continue to face numerous challenges, including poor working conditions, unsafe and inadequate living conditions, job insecurity, exploitation, harassment and violence.

Low wages in proportion to their labour, coupled with rising living costs due to inflation, have forced many female workers into borrowing money and a debt spiral.

Ou Tep Phallin, President of the Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation, said yesterday that the debt situation has become one of the biggest issues among workers in Cambodia, and it remains unsolved.

Harmful social and cultural norms, combined with the current economic crisis, continue to reinforce gender inequality. Women face pressure regarding decision-making, roles in society, career choices, and political participation. This has led to increasing cases of gender-based violence – physical, emotional, sexual and economic – along with relentless harassment, especially in the past few decades, affecting women in both urban and rural areas.

Women make up approximately 51% of Cambodia’s population and play a crucial role in economic, social, and political development. However, they often do not receive the rights, respect, or recognition they deserve.

Nop Sreymao / Khmer Times

Link: Khmer Times