Cambodian women represent 51% of the country's population, however their ability to participate as equal partners in social, political and economic life is incomparable to men.
Conservative traditional norms place a higher value on male life, and persistent gender imbalances lead to poverty, illiteracy, gender based violence, poor employment opportunities, and human trafficking. In addition to this, women are disproportionately responsible for reinvesting earnings back into the household. As a result, women are disadvantaged in the labour market and often only have access to under-regulated and unsafe working conditions.
I am a passionate advocate for women's rights and gender equality and know gender equality is a powerful driver for growth, development and stability. Gender inequality is a major barrier to human development world-over, however I will take one step at a time and start in Cambodia. I just need your help to empower Khmer women to achieve this.
How?
On 29th June I will be moving to Cambodia as a WhyDev Fellow at SHE Investments. I will be working as a Monitoring and Evaluations Officer for 4-6 months and will make a positive contribution towards economically empowering Khmer women.
About SHE.
SHE Investments is a social enterprise with a vision of a world where investment in women in developing countries is seen as an opportunity not charity.
In Cambodia, women make up more than 65% of the businesses, however most of them are micro-sized. SHE wants to change this. SHE are the only social enterprise in Cambodia running gender-focused and culturally tailored business development programs.
The core programs aim to support women to scale their businesses into the Small - Medium Enterprise (SME) sector as well as to change the financial opportunities available to women-led businesses, and create an equal playing field for entrepreneurs.
SHE also partners with different organisations to deliver programs that focus on the economic empowerment of women through financial literacy and entrepreneurship, and holds various events and workshops for women in Cambodia, including the annual SHE Conference in Phnom Penh.
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SHE'S IMPACT
- More than half of SHE's program graduates double their monthly revenue
- 65% of graduates increase their revenues by between 100 - 500%
- 85% of graduates increase confidence and decision-making power
"Vong Saven makes jewellery from recycled paper, employing local women from displaced communities to. Since graduating from the SHE Incubator Program she has increased her business revenue, and even started a second business selling juice. She has been able to provide more jobs for home-based jobs for unemployed women, and has even taught her husband what she learned to help him start his own business too!"
"Thavry has a pig farm in Siem Reap, which she started with her husband several years ago. After graduating from the Incubator Program she increased her income and reinvested this back into the business, doubling the size of her farm's infrastructure. This has allowed her to breed a much higher number of pigs, increasing her output (and therefore her revenue) significantly. Thavry says that the program helped her to significantly increase her self-confidence, and she now feels like she has much more power to make financial decisions, both in her family and her business"
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Your Support Will Genuinely Make a Difference.
All contributions made to this campaign will make a big difference! It will support the cost of my fellowship in Phnom Penh and empower Khmer women to achieve their dreams.
SHE's vision, mission and programs will support women to realise their dreams, agitate traditional gender norms, reduce poverty and make a positive contribution to human development.
Investing in, and empowering women is one of the most effective ways to drive economic growth at a national level and reduce poverty within communities and households.
It's simple, societies that invest in and value the existence and skills of all members of society are more likely to prosper.
Fun facts:
- If all entrepreneurs could participate equally in the economy, it is estimated that the global gross domestic product could rise by as much as two per cent, or US$1.5 trillion (DFAT).
- Women could increase their income by up to 76 per cent if the employment participation gap and wage gap between men and women were closed. This is calculated to have a global value of US$17 trillion (DFAT).
- Women who are better educated have fewer, healthier and better-educated children, which reduces dependency burdens and increases savings (DFAT).
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More about me?
Until I pack up my life and move to Cambodia, I am based in Melbourne Australia. I am incredibly passionate about women's rights, in particular gender-based violence, human trafficking and labour rights. I studied a B.A (Psychology) at the University of Melbourne and a Masters of International Relations. I have a background in social work working with young people in Melbourne experiencing homelessness and am excited to begin my career in women's development in Cambodia.
