Marking International Women's Day: Gender equality in Cambodia

By Kristina Novak and Laura Gavin.

As our 10-year anniversary approaches here at Chab Dai, we've been looking back at human rights issues and asking ourselves what has changed, what has been challenged and what has improved in this time.

To coincide with International Women's Day on Sunday March 8^th, as well as campaigns like the UN's #HeForShe movement, we decided to take a closer look at gender equality in Cambodia.

At Chab Dai, we're constantly working towards best practice with our members and stakeholders on this issue, addressing gender-based exploitation and discrimination within a human rights framework.

But how has gender equality moved forward since we opened our first office in 2005?

Women's rights and Cambodian culture

Since ratifying CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) back in 1992 and the Optional Protocol in 2011, Cambodia has adopted an official commitment to women’s rights. However, we still have a long way to go to see these rights in practice.

Women in this country still face centuries-old cultural norms stemming from the Chrab Srey moral code, one that dictates they should always respect the decisions of men, whether right or wrong.

A UN Women report stated that 'Women, who make up more than half the population, constitute the majority of the poor', while the Global Gender Gap report for 2014 ranked Cambodia at number 108 in the world – the lowest of the South-East Asian nations – on criteria such as education, economic participation and work opportunities.

With domestic violence against women also on the rise in recent years, we still face challenges in gender equality here, in the younger generations as well as the older.

The next generation and gender equality

With around 50% of the country's population under the age of 25, it's important that the next generation is well-informed about gender equality. However, studies like Tong Soprach's 5-year longitudinal research on young people and Valentine's Day have shown that many have an unhealthy, and even dangerous approach to relationships between men and women.

Soprach's research showed that a large percentage of young men intended to have sex – consensual or not – on Valentine's Day, year on year. Though this decreased over time, it is an alarming dichotomy that instances of rape should occur on this day in February, mere weeks before we celebrate the empowerment of women on International Women's Day.

Once again, it's knowledge which could be part of the answer to changing these kind of attitudes towards gender.

Orng Muylen, Chab Dai Finance Director

Empowering women in Cambodia

Knowledge-sharing is one of our key prevention tools in the fight to stop human trafficking, and much of Chab Dai's training with communities addresses related issues like exploitation of women, and educating people on the value of women and children. We are also currently working on a dedicated gender inclusion policy, and many of our project managers and senior staff are women, including Finance & Operations Director, Orng Muylen.

On a more national level, women are becoming more prominent in politics, with the election of the first female Deputy Prime Minister, and an increase of nearly 10% in the number of women elected to parliament between 2003 and 2008. And in 2014, LICADHO made a report wherein women were not only classified as victims, but as protagonists: 'Women Land Campaigners and the Impact of Human Rights Activism' following women dealing with land conflicts.

The report also emphasised how this issue has been changing the attitudes of the women themselves: 'Our tradition says we should listen to our husbands. I decided to choose the community and continue with my activism'.

So as we reach our landmark anniversary and look forward to the next 10 years at Chab Dai, it's great to hear such stories of hope. As Muylen affirms:

'We are women, we do not work or follow what men are asking us...we need to stand up for what we have to do. We stand up for ourselves, we have a value, we are people just the same – if men can do something, we can do the same.'

Image of couple by Gunawan Kartapranata used under Creative Commons licence. All other images provided by Chab Dai.

The Importance of a Learning Spirit

My husband, Charlie, and I recently met with two social entrepreneurs from Australia. They are interested in replicating their social enterprise cafés in Cambodia, as a transitional employment and training venture for survivors of trafficking and exploitation. So much of our conversation was inspiring and interesting that I thought it was important to share it with the community.


Their original idea was to run a four-story center, including a large café, a training center, and housing for their employees. As we discussed the implications of sustainability for their business in Cambodia, adaptation to the original plan was already in effect. 

Although the lead person on this project works for an NGO, he is first and foremost a businessman. He identifies greatly with Chab Dai’s ethos on collaboration and the idea of sticking to one’s expertise. When he heard that we already have a number of aftercare programs in the area, whose competencies lie in counseling, trauma recovery, and survivor reintegration, he quickly started to re-evaluate his plan and think about how to build a business that supports pre-existing organizations.

He was also told by a number of people that sit-down, higher-end cafés are already saturated in Phnom Penh, but when he visited a centrally located gas station / coffee hub, and saw a long line of customers waiting for coffee at 8:00 a.m., he knew this model could be successful in other key areas of the city. 

They also recognized that Cambodia has the largest number of NGOs of almost any country in the world and prefers to join the cause as a socially minded business, rather than an NGO doing business. One of their top priorities is financial sustainability and they want to  use their business principals to prepare young survivors for integration into mainstream economic activity.

This new social business idea is still in its nascent stages, but what I loved about meeting these two visionaries was their flexibility and willingness to learn in a new environment. They are excellent at what they do in Australia, but recognizing that they need to adapt their model, marketing, and strategic plan to accommodate the needs of both the Cambodian market and survivors, makes this business a compelling site for innovation, cultural adaptation and success. 

This is the type of collaboration and open-mindedness we need in order to create effective change and to equip Cambodian people with the essential tools needed for success. 

"… Flight attendants, prepare for take-off."

By Joan Jarman

As the summer season approaches, so does the season for short-term mission trips.  Planning and fundraising efforts are dwindling and it’s almost time to hit the long lines for luggage check-in and airport security.  For those new to mission trips…don’t let the initial airport chaos hinder your excitement for it will be quickly forgotten once the aircraft doors close and seatbelts are fastened for take-off.

David A. Livermore, author of Serving with Eyes Wide Open estimates there are over 4 million Americans going on mission trips each year.   The number itself is telling but so is the fact that such large numbers of Americans are choosing cross-cultural trips.  How does that happen in a country like ours where, unlike other parts of the world where students graduate with proficiency in multiple languages, foreign languages are not even taught until high school (and even then produce relatively few who are truly functional in the second language.

One would assume that in a country where mission trips are so popular there would be a high degree of commitment to cross cultural awareness and sensitivity, especially amongst church leaders.   Not so, at least not according to Livermore’s personal journeys and experiences.  He contends that still today there exists a sense amongst Americans  that they have the “right” culture and must therefore “convert” others to their ways.  He goes on to point out that for this very reason short term missions fail…they lack cultural intelligence due to, among other things, neocolonialism and failure to incorporate the voices of non-western church leaders on the receiving side of the short-term mission projects.

As Livermore says, its about ‘changing the way we see and therefore do short term missions.’ Serving with Eyes Wide Open is a good book with good insight. 

For additional resources on the topic, please visit Freedom Collaborative website library http://freedomcollaborative.org/organizations.

The Tragedy of Our Personal Gains

Humans are interesting species. We live in a world where we praise individuality. We rally for the underdog, cheer when they win. In many cultures, we sacrifice for the “greater good.” As a society we are enamored by these two ideas, almost every film or news story proves this. However, in the process of securing stability, we often lose empathy because we see the world as our own playground and only our own personal gain matters. Our own gains are how we monitor success and many consider this progress.

While attending a recent local human trafficking conference, speaker Melissa Farley mentioned the correlation between environmental degradation and woman exploitation. She spoke on how disposability of the environment and women parallel each other. As I sat there and listened, I started to reflect on what I had learned through my studies in environmental policy. The more I thought it over, the more I understood.

Through my numerous environmental classes, the common story is that the slightest disturbance, whether it is to the air, water, soil, etc... causes a chain reaction which can lead to long lasting negative effects. This can be analyzed by the theory, tragedy of the commons. It is the concept where a group of individuals will act rationally with only their own self interest in mind. But each person acting rationally for their own gains causes the depletion of the common good, therefore, it's the "tragedy of the common”. The often quoted example of this was presented by Garrett Hardin in 1968, he explains the scenario of a group of herdsmen all grazing their animals on a common open pasture. Initially, they all see the benefits of this pasture. But each person wants to maximize their own gain so they slowly add one additional animal. Slowly but surely, the collective group has each added more to their herd which in turn lead to the exhaustion of the pasture.

This same phenomenon can be translated into the human trafficking world. Traffickers believe that in order to survive in life, they have to make certain choices. They bypass their initial subconscious thought of the horrors of what they are doing and proceed. They do not deter from their actions because of their selfish own interests. In the process, the tragedy becomes those victims and survivors. Bill Gates once brought concern to this issue when he stated " if you're not fully utilizing half the talent in the country, you're not going to get too close to the top." By traffickers acting with only themselves in mind, they enable the depletion of women's potential. These very women that they are exploiting can be the answer to many world problems, such as poverty, the economy, and unemployment.

This self interest can actually also be seen ( in somewhat of the same light) in the case study of the Gray Wolves in the Yellowstone National Park. Western settlers would kill wolves to protect their cattle (again, with only their own interest in mind). Unknowingly, by killing the wolves, they were causing a downward spiral effect of the ecosystem. The elimination of the wolves caused an increase of the local elk, which caused overgrazing of local plants, which in turn affected the surrounding stream beds, soil, birds, and bugs. The Gray Wolves were a keystone species, a species that plays a significant role in keeping stability in that environment.

What if unknowingly to traffickers, those that they are exploiting are the keystone to society? We do not know that those being trafficked might be that integral part of the future.

Through the competitiveness of our society, we have become addicted to our own personal gains. Sometimes that means that this gain is accomplished through the violation of others. I am, however, not saying that we should not cherish ourselves and our own self worth. But we should be self conscious when our individuality becomes our only infatuation. Though all this sounds like a bleak future, we can do something. After the federal government realized what was occurring in Yellowstone, a plan was composed to protect the wolves. The results were miraculous. The restoration caused a return to a stable environment. We too can achieve a form of restoration in trafficking. We can do this through collaboration. Projects like Freedom Collaborative can be a step in the right direction. Will it solve the issue? No. But it sure is a good start.

Short-term missions...Long-term effects?

Recently Charlie and I were asked to contribute to World Vision Canada's French publication on development issues and church involvement. We were asked a number of questions on short-term missions, a subject about which we have much to say! The whole issue will soon be available (although only in French) here. We wrote our submission initially in English, so here it is!

Q: What is it like to receive short-term mission groups?  

Receiving short-term mission groups takes a lot of work on the part of the receiving organization, in terms of preparing for the group, hosting and leading the group, and often in catching up on missed work after the group has gone. There is a lot of preparation that goes into hosting a group that the traveling team is not aware of. If a host organization does not have an assigned short-term mission coordinator, which some do, other project staff will probably have to work overtime to prepare for and accommodate a visiting team.

We have heard from various field workers (both local and expat) that the groups who visit their programs often promise continued support, such as staying in touch, raising funds, or raising awareness; however, in the majority of cases, organizations never hear from these visitors again. Thus, the time spent with the visitors ends up being an investment on the part of the host organization with no long-term positive effects.

Q: What makes a successful cross-cultural experience?

A cross-cultural experience, especially if it is a first encounter with a particular culture or country, will be successful if the traveler goes with a learning spirit and an attitude of humility. When groups return from a short-term mission saying, "We met this person... We learned about this issue...," these are often the groups that have a lasting positive outlook of their experience and the culture they encountered, rather than groups who only report on what they did. Going only to do makes a team work on outcomes rather than relationships, which turns their focus inward and closes them off to discovering and learning from new experiences.

Q: What do Christian leaders need to know before planning a trip?

Before planning a trip, Christian leaders should know the answers to these two questions.  How will you ensure your trip has a lasting, meaningful effect? What are the skill sets that your group possesses, and how will you use them effectively?

The purpose of the first question is to think through why you want to go. If building a long term, lasting relationship between your community and the host community is not a top priority, this is an indicator that your trip is being dreamed up for personal reasons. If you want to share experiences with a group, and plan to encourage your team to become advocates, raise awareness or build a relationship with another community when they get back, you have the right idea, keep going.

The purpose of the second question is to make certain you are using your skills wisely. People often think that in order to do a mission trip properly, they need to build something, or that they need to manage a project. In fact, around the world there is a great need for teachers, technicians, graphic artists, and many other skills that we have and that we use on a daily basis. Finding an organization that will allow your team to use the skills they have developed over their lifetimes will help to create meaningful work for your team, will fill actual gaps for the host organization, and will help to develop deeper relationships.

Q: What are the dangers of not taking the time to plan appropriately?

A common assumption by short term mission teams, is that the first thing on their to-do list is to raise money for travel. In fact, there are many more important things to do to plan for a short-term mission trip, such as exploring team's members' reasons for going, setting goals for the trip, learning about the host country and preparing for culture shock, discussing whether a trip is really the best way to steward your funds, and, then, raising money not only for your travel costs, but also to donate to the host organization's projects.

When a group does not plan appropriately, and has not adequately thought through their goals for the trip, members of the group can lose sight of the big picture and spend much of the trip being overwhelmed by unexpected events. If the group has prepared, maintains an attitude of flexibility, and focuses more on walking alongside people, rather than going to do work for people, than even big changes in circumstances will not ruin the trip, but add to the learning experience.

A Bunch of Chopsticks Can't Be Broken! - Khmer Saying

I happen to be one of those strange people who really loves change.  What isn’t to love about new beginnings? Fresh slate, fresh excitement and if you’re lucky, a good party. Chab Dai celebrated a new beginning yesterday at our new office celebration.  It was a wonderful gathering, celebrating Chab Dai’s history and dreaming about the future with friends and members. And in typical Cambodian fashion, there was enough food to feed us all five times over.

It was a fantastic time to get together and reflect on how much Chab Dai has grown and remember how important it is to be united.  From the humble beginnings of begging for office space from friends to now, being settled in a spacious, beautiful new office - great things are happening! It wouldn’t have been possible without partnerships, support, and teamwork. To reiterate Helen’s words at our celebration, thanks for being part of the history and part of the future.

{By the way, this is also a new beginning for me and I should introduce myself! My name is Mary and I am a new Chab Dai team member.  I am interning in 2012, working on social media and communications stuff.  I am so honored to be a part of the Chab Dai family and engage with all of you.  Feel free to say hello on twitter (mary_chabdai) or find me on Facebook (Mary Hoey).  I would love to ‘meet’ all of you.}

Happy Khmer New Year!

Happy Khmer New Year from the Chab Dai Team!

Khmer New Year, or we can say “Bun Chaul Chnam Thmey” in the Khmer language, is the name of one of the biggest Cambodian holidays. The holiday lasts three days and marks the end of the harvesting season, when farmers can enjoy the fruits of their labor before the rainy season begins. Buddhists in Cambodia always make preparations for the new year by cleaning, mopping and decorating around their houses. They believe the angel “Tevada” will attend their houses and bless them all.

During the three days of celebrations, Cambodian people wake up early every morning to cook traditional foods. Dressed in traditional dress, they take baskets of the prepared foods, fruits & drink to pagodas throughout the country, in order to offer it to their ancestors by praying through monks. At home they also have colorful decorations with lights & flowers, for offering prayers to their ancestors.

Khmer New Year is also a very fun time for Cambodian people of all ages. Street corners are often crowded with friends & families enjoying a break from daily routines, filling their free time with dancing and popular games. Along the road during the daytime, people fill plastic bags with water, and throw them at people who drive or walk along the road. They also sprinkle perfume or baby powder on people for fun.

The third day is the most important and fun. Buddhists cleanse the Buddha statues and their elders with perfumed water at the pagoda. It is also thought to be a kind deed that will bring longevity, good luck, happiness and prosperity in life. By bathing their grandparents and parents, children can obtain from them best wishes and good advice for the future.

Khmer New Year is a great opportunity for students, Chab Dai member staff, and also for children in aftercare shelters to return to their home and visit their family. Please pray for their journey and the sweet time that they can spend celebrating with their families.