For the third year in a row, in 2001 the 16-Day Group of concerned women from a number of Cambodian non-government organizations prepared its strategies for the campaign to end violence against women. This annual campaign is gaining more and more attention and support around the world, not only from the women’s movement but also increasingly from men who understand that violence is not just a women’s issue – it is above all a men’s problem which men themselves must resolve.

Gender-based violence takes many forms in Cambodia. The most common form, perhaps, is domestic violence. The Cambodia Demographic and Health Survey by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Planning which was published in July this year found that one-quarter (25%) of ever-married women have suffered physical, sexual or psychological abuse from their husband. This year there have been many reported incidents of rape, especially the rape of small girls who are often then murdered to guarantee their silence. The trafficking and sexual exploitation of young women and children is also a major worry for the Cambodian society.

Growing awareness of the extent of the problem of violence against women and children has provoked a strong and positive response among the people. Young people, students and workers, are eager to participate in campaigns which carry the message of non-violence. For their part, the general public have shown that they are more than happy to receive that message.

In 2001, GADNet, a broad-based network of women joined in solidarity with the CMN (Cambodian Men’s Network) and harnessed the support and enthusiasm of hundreds of students to participate in the 16-Day Campaign to ensure that the right message, in the most palatable form, reached as far across Cambodia as the resources of these groups would allow.

______________________

The following is a summary of the main events which CMN and GADNet facilitated during the sixteen-day campaign in 2001:

The white ribbon has become the international symbol of men's opposition to gender violence. In Cambodia, this year, 40,450 people accepted the ribbon. They were Cambodian men, women and children from Phnom Penh and eight provinces. As the volunteers pinned on the ribbon, they explained its significance. They also gave most recipients a leaflet which explained the purpose of the campaign.

On Sunday, 25 November 2001, CMN and GADNet members, along with student volunteers (a total of 269 people) marched with banners that read "Unite to Build a Society Free of Violence Against Women and Children" from the office of GAD/C to the National Assembly and then boarded buses decorated with anti-violence posters which took them to five main markets in Phnom Penh, namely Kandal, Pochentong, Tuoltumpong, Stung Meanchey, and Chbar Ampeou markets.

That morning, 14,800 people accepted the white ribbons. The teams also distributed 9,720 leaflets. Not one person refused to wear the ribbon. In fact, some people approached the volunteers and asked for extra ribbons that they wanted to give to a relative or neighbour who had a problem of using violence against women. Others who had not received the leaflet asked for copies. As the volunteers passed through the market and the streets around the market, groups of men could be seen quietly reading the message. Not one leaflet was dropped as litter.

The message was a simple one. On one side it read:

Violence against women is above all a men's problem which men themselves have to resolve:

The other side of the leaflet explained the meaning of the white ribbon campaign:

At Prek Phdau village, thirty kilometres from Phnom Penh, on 29 November, 42 villagers and youth activists of CCWA and 44 pupils of the local primary school marched four kilometres from the school to the local market, pinning on 2,000 white ribbons and distributing leaflets as they marched and also in the market. CCWA (Cambodian Christian Women's Association) had planned activities for the day and they invited CMN and GADNet to join.

The following day, 32 volunteers including staff of the Kandal Department of Women's and Veterans' Affairs and youth of the Hun Sen Takhmau High School took 6,000 ribbons and leaflets to two large markets in Kandal Province, namely Takhmau Market and Korki Market.

In Pursat, Kampot and Svay Rieng provinces the Cambodian Men's Network active members held short ceremonies in schools and public places which were, in turn, strongly supported by local government officials and school staff and students. In Pursat, in northwestern Cambodia, 5,000 ribbons were distributed, in Kampot, 3,600 people received ribbons, and in Svay Rieng, in the far southeast of the country 4,000 people happily wore the ribbon.

CMN and GADNet supported white ribbon distribution campaigns which were held by members of the 16-Day Group. The various organizations which belong to this group of activists on behalf of eliminating violence against women distributed more than one thousand ribbons in Siem Reap, Battambang, Takeo and Kompong Chhnang provinces.

This year, therefore, the White Ribbon Campaign reached eight provinces as well as Phnom Penh and more than 40,000 people were contacted directly. The activists, those doing the distribution and organizing, came from many, many different backgrounds including local NGOs, universities and colleges, government departments, local schools, etc.

_______________________________________

The Law on Marriage and the Family was passed by the National Assembly of the State of Cambodia on 18 July 1989 and was promulgated one week later. The writing and passage of the bill came during an important stage of political transition in Cambodia between the socialist regime of the People's Republic of Kampuchea and what would become the Kingdom of Cambodia following the multi-party elections of 1993 which were sponsored by the United Nations.

There is much in the current law which is supportive of women's and children's rights. There are also, however, some features which, from a gender perspective, may be considered to be discriminatory. The Law on Marriage and the Family is currently undergoing revision with technical support from the Japanese government with a view to incorporating it into a new Civil Code.

GAD/C was asked by a key legal adviser in Cambodia to hold a workshop in order to draft some recommendations to the Ministry of Justice which will decide on amendments to that law. One year ago, GAD/C held a similar, highly commended workshop on the draft Criminal Code.

It was decided to make the workshop an activity of the 16-Day Campaign to End Violence Against Women. As it turned out, the day of the workshop coincided with the three-day regional workshop on Domestic Violence. In spite of the conflicting demands for attendance, almost all those invited came.

The twenty-seven people in attendance at the full-day workshop to propose amendments to the Law on Marriage and the Family came from 23 different NGOs and two government ministries. About one quarter of the participants are Cambodian lawyers (practising or teaching law).

These proposed amendments will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice.

_____________________

Preparations for this event which attracted as many as 10,000 people on the night of the concert and a nationwide television audience the following night, began at least three months ago. It involved the unstinting efforts of the whole staff of GAD/C, along with the leadership and coordination provided by both networks, the GADNet and CMN. Again, the youth groups were outstanding in their cooperation and cheerful hard work. Several other organizations, particularly those who work closely with women who are victims of violence, were partners in this major event, the first of its kind in Cambodia. Funding was provided by UNIFEM, The Asia Foundation, and Oxfam/GB. The Phnom Penh-based television channel, TV3 provided the technical assistance, singers, etc. The schedule was arranged by GADNet and CMN.

The Minister for Women's and Veterans' Affairs, Mu Sochua, opened the event with a powerful yet simple speech, drawing on the participation of all those there and calling for an end to the many forms of violence against Cambodian women and for the building of a peaceful, just society. As she finished speaking, the lights were dimmed, and 1,000 candles shone while one hundred nuns in their white robes chanted Buddhist prayers. Then flowers were laid by young children in memory of all Cambodian women who have died from war, domestic violence, rape, trafficking, or AIDS.

The concert was arranged as a bracket of popular songs in keeping with the general theme of the event, followed by the testimony of a victim of violence, or her representative. These testimonies were expertly introduced by a master of ceremonies. These testimonies were bravely delivered and, as the minister commented later, "truly came from the belly of their experience, with no excuses of karma."

The following evening, at peak viewing time (Sunday, 8.00 p.m.) the edited concert was televised nationally. On the following morning, the television crew responsible for the editing of the programme received the personal congratulations of the channel manager for the excellence of the programme. This message was then relayed to GAD/C for feedback.

___________________________________________

Achievements can be measured in terms of people who accepted and wore the ribbon - more than 40,000 people; and people who asked for and read the simple leaflet and then tucked it into their pockets to take home or elsewhere so that another person could share the message. We know that eight provinces held white ribbon distribution activities and that Phnom Penh received wide coverage. We can only guess the numbers in the huge crowd which attended the public concert and who watched the televised broadcast the following night.

Achievements can also be measured by the extent and degree of participation and cooperation of the many active members of the Cambodian Men's Network and the GADNet, along with hundreds of tireless students who cheerfully volunteered to do any work asked of them. The GAD/C staff also worked many hours outside of what their contract asks of them without complaint.

The real measure of the effectiveness of this campaign, however, was the eagerness with which ordinary Cambodians on the streets and in the markets received the message and the symbol of non-violence. Many decades of war and half-peace left Cambodians exhausted. If this campaign is just a small barometer of social change, it would seem that there is a renewed spirit among the people and that they are ready now to act constructively to build a genuinely peaceful society.

As the members of the CMN went through markets across the country, they were occasionally approached by men, especially, seeking advice on how to resolve conflicts they had with their partners and within their families. This questing for peaceful resolution of problems is surely a sign of a healing society.

There is further proof in the courageous testimonies of the young women who were prepared to tell their stories and to call for change, not just to a concert audience, but to the whole nation.

The 16-Day Campaign for 2001 was rated by everyone as a huge success. It was a success for CMN, GADNet and GAD/C but, above all, it was proof that civil society is growing ever stronger in Cambodia.

___________

Gender and Development for Cambodia, a local non-government organization which strives through training, advocacy and research to promote gender equity in all spheres of Cambodian life, provided the umbrella support and technical assistance to GADNet and the CMN throughout this campaign and also during the months of preparation for the campaign.

On behalf of GADNet and the CMN, GAD/C wishes to thank the sponsors who generously contributed funds, particularly for the vigil and concert on 8 December. Without this support from Unifem, The Asia Foundation and Oxfam/GB we could not have proceeded or achieved such wide national coverage for this event.