Written by Savdy Doeung, Vocational Training Coordinator

In some societies, women are still discriminated on their gender. They are not given the same right as men. Women are still paid less, expected to cook, clean etc. Women are still strict by their culture and family. As women can’t go out at night or with the guys. Some Cambodian women are determined by their parents or husband. They still not allowed women to work or study far away from their home because they believed that women are weaker than men and some husbands get jealously. In additionally, some women in Cambodia married in young age and some also forced to married by their parents. Women’s empowerment is really needed in the societies. It’s so important for women self-esteem and also for societies.

Empowering women is to give women the right. Women can have equal right to participate in education, society, economy and politically. Women can involve in society as they are glad to choose their religious, language, work and other activities. Women are allowed higher education as men. They can go with the high-level of education, finish their classes, learn the skill and study whatever they want. Women also can join the politically as they have right to vote and do some activities in political.

Women’s empowerment is a part to encourage women to feel strong by telling them that they can do everything that they want to do. Women can work outside their home, have opportunity to make up their mind. Women are not depended on men. They can earn money to support their family by working through their abilities. As some women are not confident to work in a hard condition or a high position because they still determine that it’s not women’s job.

Empowerment helps to reduce in domestic violence due people promote and give the value to women. Women are not abused by any factors such as sexual abuse, emotion abuse and physical abuse.

These day women are achieving high-level job just as man do. Some women are promoted to become a president, leader, chief of commune and other high-level positions. And there are many women now are participating in society, politically, education and economically.

Women who attend the sewing program at HHA are really empowered. HHA empowers them through giving them skill and also teach them life skill lessons. They have learnt a lot from us for 10 months. All of them are from very poor family. Some of them are not empowered by their family or husband due they always claim that women are better not to study more or work outside their home. But they still fight and join us this program. As the result of Empowering by HHA, those women are really change in their life. They can earn more money to support their family, they can get a happiness in their family as they don’t have domestic violence and they have learnt other lessons related to their living.

I have changed a lot since I started to join sewing program at HHA. I have a skill now, so I can find more money to support my family. There are many people criticized on me such as my neighbors and my relative when I joined this program, because they think that it’s useless. I believe myself and I am empowered by HHA. I am very thankful to HHA that give me this opportunity. – Lin, our sewing student said.