Monitoring Study Tour for WLSN in Kompong Chhang

Solidarity photo among provincial women councilors, young women activist and committee project study tour at Kompong Chhnang provincial hall.

On 26 January 2016, SILAKA, PADEK and focal persons from MOWA and NCCD had a dialogue meeting with women councilors on women challenges and review project outcomes at Kompong Chhnang provincial hall and Roleapahear district hall.

The meeting called Monitoring Project Committee Study Tour, aims to monitor project implementation and review the previous outcomes on promoting women leaders at sub-national level and young women activists and ask for recommendation before project ending.

In the morning time at provincial hall, H.E Ms. Dok Sothear, chairperson of provincial council reported in the meeting “…recently, women are brave enough to speak in meeting or public, they [women] know if they don’t speak so men don’t know what women need…”.

Ms. Chhum Chansok, chairperson of the department of women’s affair said “the challenges of women are the procedures to access national budget complicated and still limited”. The difficulty to access national budget is an obstacle to develop gender equality, despite the government has committed to invest on gender equality.

In the afternoon time at district hall, Ms. Sreyleak, one of young women activists said “if the project end, we [young women] are still keeping continue our activities to promote women rights at local, because we got many trainings from the project and now it is our tune to implement.”

Recently, Women leaders and young women in Roleapaphear district are increased their capacity due to trainings that provided by the project, they have negotiation and advocacy skills, get more understanding on the procedures for complaint handling, especially some men recognized women capacity in their local.

The project of empowering women leader at sub-national level in Cambodia which Known as “WLSN” is implemented by SILAKA, funded by UN Women. This project aims to strengthen leadership and decision making skills of Cambodian women leaders at sub-national level and young women activists (YWA).

This project covers 8 districts in 6 provinces including Tramkok and Somrong district, and Daun Keo city in Takeo, Kean Svay district in Kandal, Roleaphear district in Kompong Chhang, Snoul district in Kratie, Senmonorom district in Mondokiri and Sesan district in Steung Treng, starting from January 2013 to March 2016.