Cambodia
is a country emerging from conflict. The past decade has seen the government,
civil society and international agencies work hard to advance the well being of
Cambodians. However, women continue to face serious challenges. Many of women’s
most pressing concerns in Cambodia relate to poverty and its impact on women.
Frequent pregnancies and a high rate of maternal mortality are problems, and
women’s difficulties accessing education and skills training are also obstacles
to advancement. Women’s illiteracy hovers around 80%, while men’s is estimated
to be about 40%. Domestic violence, though thought to be underreported, is
widespread. Physical violence and economic hardship make women vulnerable to
trafficking and exploitative prostitution. As both a receiving and sending
country, Cambodia is a major centre in the regional sex trade.
In
the recent past, Cambodia was a traditional society where women had a
particular and defined role with a limited social life. There are various
traditional codes of conduct for women as described in proverbs, folktales and
novels on how women should behave. Here are some examples:
“Another flame is your husband who you stay
with forever. You should serve well, don’t make him disappointed. Forgive him
in the name of women, don’t speak in the way you consider him as equal. No
matter what happen, we have to wait, to listen with the bad word (even if he
say something bad you have to listen)”.
“Women are supposed to stay at home, and
always behave quietly and sweetly,” otherwise it will
bring bad luck to family.
Moreover,
a famous proverb continually practiced in Cambodia says: ”A man is gold; a woman is a
white piece of cloth.” When
dropped into mud, piece of cloth never regains its purity regardless how often
it is washed; however, the gold can be cleaned and it will always shine.
Education
or schooling was never a priority for girls. This explains the lower rate of
women’s participation in today’s labor market, on the other hand the illegal
work is in bloom. It was considered useless or unnecessary to send the girls to
school. There is a belief that girls should not learn much otherwise they will
write love letters to boys or men. It was also believed that a woman’s duty was
to stay home and treat her husband properly; there was no need to learn. These
believes stemmed from an old proverb saying: "Women cannot
do anything beside household work.”
From the above statements, we clearly see
what is the Cambodgians widespread perception of woman: women don’t need education because sooner or
later will come housewives, their duty is to be submissive to their husband and
to serve him no matter what, anytime and anywhere. My question is: do you
relate to this? Or do you believe that denying women to exercise their right of
learning is a measure taken by men who wants
to feel that they are superior and thus aim to control them more easily?
source:Youtube
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/cb.html
http://www.unwomen-eseasia.org/projects/Cedaw/countryprogramme_cambodia.html
http://futurechallenges.org/local/women%E2%80%99s-rights-in-cambodia-breaking-up-with-old-traditions/
I was very upset about the situation of women in Cambodia. This male-dominated society that prevents women to educate themselves, to work and fulfilled as persons. This shows how much we have to work to achieve the equality gender in many parts of the world. I think that the man is afraid of women's emancipation. In fact, if it did, the woman may decide of their own lives, their children and their future. It is sad to see how difficult it is to get rid of the tyranny of man. Many women around the world are fighting for their liberty, which is the first right of every human being. But the results are often microscopic and these women risk their lives just to ask for the freedom to be a person like a man. The road ahead is still very long and with many difficulties, but, as has happened in the western world, sooner or later men will realize that we are important, that we are at their height and we deserve a life as free women.
ReplyDeleteAnna D'Amico
Your post is very interesting! I was intrigued because in my blog I’m searching for news about violation in southeastern Asia and the Feminine is a figure that can never be forget or diminished. When you live in a country where men and women are equal, they can do the same jobs, attend the same schools and universities, it is difficult to see a different view, imagine that exist countries in which women are treated worse than objects. I think that the best way to redeem for a situation of abuse and violence is the education, the knowledge and comprehension but the problem for these women is that often they are illiterate; so they have a double problem: they are not educated and they are submitted by men, probably they don’t know that in the world the reality is more different and better, that they should have possibility to choice their future, their job and their life.
ReplyDeleteIt will be difficult for the International community to attend and help these people, if the government do not enact laws to protect a part of its citizens.
I hope that the western world, that now is more “democratic” and “free”, can give support in a peaceful way.
Above all I want remind men that without women they do not exist and that Respect of the others is at the base of a civil society, formed by all kinds of individuals.
Micol Bilato
In this male-dominated society the women began to fight for their freedom, but it-s only the beginning. All the problems are linked with the poverty in Cambodia, and the women are the category that suffering much more than man. The UN and the Western countries must help the government to create an equal legislation and create the opportunity and possibility to women accessing to education and medical assistance. Starting from the education the women can achieve the freedom, but we mustn't forget that asian societies are different from our, their values and ideas, so this society could't repeat our experience.
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