Ensure Gender Equality in National Election Committee

Policeman tried to seize materials of campaign

Photo Press Conference, from left to right: Ms. Arun Reaksmey, ED of Strey Khmer, Ms. Sonket Sereyleak, Education and Gender Coordinator of Comfrel, Ms. Ros Sopheap, ED of GADC, Ms. Thida Khus, ED of SILAKA and chairperson of CPWP, and Ms. Chan Kunthea, Program coordinator of Jass-SEA

While the Permanent Commission of the National Assembly of Cambodia and the two leading political parties were busy with their work on the formation of the members of the National Election Committee.  The Committee to Promote Women in Politics and SILAKA in collaboration with the Cambodian Women Caucus, the Gender & Development Network, the Cambodian Men Network and many other civil society organizations, has organized a peaceful campaign to demand the CPP and the CNRP to nominate more women onto the formation of NEC.

A statement released on 31 March 2015 stated, “If the President of NEC is a man or a woman, the Vice President should be a person from the opposite sex.” The statement continued to say that, we are the civil society organizations working to ensure the gender equality in Cambodia. We want to see more women to be seated at NEC. We understood that gender equality is a very special tool in our society in providing social justice and sustainable development.

Based on the lesson learned from the National Strategic Development Plan 2014-2018 and the result achieved in the Fourth Legislature of the National Assembly, the Royal Government of Cambodia recognized that the Rectangular Strategy for Growth, Employment, Equity and Efficiency is still crucial and suitable for Cambodia to pursue its implementation by keeping the four angles, expending the coverage and prioritizing the policies and mechanisms to be more concrete as the Rectangular Strategy Phase III, which is to ensure the development sustainability and poverty reduction in response to the aspirations of all Cambodian men and women.

Thus, the lack of this special tool is the staple obligation that barred the increasing of the number of women that have more than 52% of the overall of the Cambodian population, in the decision making position and public roles. And, as on the third article of CEDAW treaty, it’s classified, “… all appropriate measures; including legislation to ensure the full development and advancement of women for the purpose of guaranteeing  them to exercise  and enjoyment of the human rights and fundamental freedoms on a basis of equality with all men.  Best Massage Chairs By Consumer Reports

Furthermore, the stable development goals of the world, it is also claimed that, the gender equality in the year of 2030 will be 50% are men and 50% are women. On a statement of action plans of the Beijing + 20 of Asian and Pacific Region also stated, “…Women and girls empowerment is the first feature to get stable social development and justice for all men and women in the whole society,”

The campaign lead by ‘Robam Trot‘, a kind of Khmer folk dance by using drums and poles with bells attached to provide rhythm for the dance to perform to make  wishes during Khmer New Year, then to submit a statement to the National Assembly, the CPP and CNRP.