CONTENTS

Objectives 

The purpose of ADHOC's Women's Rights program is to provide knowledge on women's rights to both women and men, so that they may regard women's rights as human rights and be aware of women's rights violations. The aim of the program is to also empower women and encourage them to build their self-confidence. Furthermore, the Women's Section aims to contribute to the progress of Cambodia as a nation by advocating the need for women and men to be partners in the development of Cambodian society. The Women's Section supports the international struggle for equal rights between men and women. 

Functions 

ADHOC established the Women’s Section to focus its activities on women's rights research and training on the occurrence and prevention of domestic violence, rape, and trafficking in women and children. These activities are implemented in seven provinces:  Kampong Cham, Kampong Thom, Svay Rieng, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Koh Kong and Phnom Penh. Four provinces, Kandal, Takeo, Kampong Speu and Kampot only engage in the monitoring activities. 

The Women's Section researches the legal and social implications of domestic violence in order. The laws related to women's issues, such as marriage law and labor law, must be researched and explained to women and men in order to prevent violence against women and to encourage women to participate in dispute resolution in their community and society. To promote women's rights, ADHOC separates the Women's Section in the following two programs: 

Education 

The goal of educating communities is to provide a foundation from which to work toward the elimination of domestic violence and a basic framework for the prevention of sex exploitation and trafficking. The program is geared toward developing respect for women's rights, to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, and to bring an end to the belief that women are inferior to men. 

Through training, women are more likely able to recognize when they or their neighbors are being abused and what they can do about it. The solidarity between women that is created at the training sessions hopefully contributes to the strength and support a woman may need in order to leave a violent domestic situation and to possibly take legal action. Knowing that other women experience domestic violence but that it is their right to live free from fear of abuse can be empowering in itself. Women in Cambodia are beginning to speak out against domestic violence, and hopefully increased education will help more women to do the same. 

Furthermore, the trafficking of young girls into the sex exploitation trade must be stopped if Cambodian women can have a future as educated, safe, and healthy members of civil society. In a common situation, a friend may promise parents they can find well-paying jobs for their daughters and then bring them into the cities where they are kept as prostitutes. These girls find it extremely hard to leave these situations and even if they somehow can, the support networks to educate them and support them are inadequate. To prevent this situation, ADHOC focuses on educating rural communities about the tactics of traffickers and hopes that parents will understand not to send their daughters away for work.  

Monitoring 

The Women's Section receives complaints from victims of domestic violence, rape, forced prostitution and trafficking in children and women. The Women's Section seeks to assist in finding a resolution suitable to the victims and to protect the victims from serious danger. 

Legally, domestic violence is not yet a crime in Cambodia.  Although assault and battery are crimes, it is difficult to convince a court that the affairs between a married couple should be the concern of the court. Therefore, the Women's Section coordinates with other concerned organizations, such as the Ministry for Women's and Veteran's Affairs, the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center, and the National Assembly's Human Rights Commission to find the best solutions for the victims. Often women who come to ADHOC are assisted in finding medical care, in finding a safe place to live, and in filing for divorce.  

Although rape is legally a criminal offense, the legal system inadequately provides for the prosecution of rapists. Often, the perpetrator will give money to the court in order to drop the investigation. Then, the court will inform the victim and her family that they should accept a small financial compensation. Once the victim's family has taken the money from the perpetrator, they are told by the court that the case can no longer be prosecuted criminally. The victim is not usually consulted as to whether they would prefer the perpetrator in prison or if they would prefer the money. In many situations, the victim's family can not afford to pay the court enough to encourage pursuit of the criminal case and therefore none is ever brought.  

In addition to the legal problems with prosecuting rapists, the fact that rape victims are no longer virgins affects their status in their communities. Rape victims can lose their chances of being married. Families will marry the victims to the perpetrators as an alternative to watching their daughters live as outcasts. 

One of the functions of the women's rights workers at ADHOC is to investigate trafficking of Cambodian women and children. Sexual exploitation in Cambodia has increased despite the government's administrative measures to crack down on trafficking of individuals and the exploitation of minors. Although prostitution is not clearly illegal, it is illegal to buy and sell people for the purpose of exploiting them sexually.  Due to the lack of education among the police force as to the laws against trafficking and exploitation of minors, and the good relationships between police officers and brothel owners, protecting the interests of trafficked women and children is difficult. Therefore, ADHOC is involved in a network of organizations concerned with protecting the interests of women. When it is possible to gain access to the women in the brothels, or when they are able to seek help from the outside, ADHOC works to find adequate shelter, employment, medical care, and support for the women. 

The laws in Cambodia do not provide adequately for the protection of the rights of women. ADHOC provides training as a preventative measure and interventions as a way to help after the fact, but until the government takes a clear legal stance to protect the rights of women and enforces those rights adequately, women will have no legal recourse in the case of abuse or exploitation.   

Click here for pictures