More than 1 in 5 women in Cambodia report having experienced gender-based violence. However, it is important to recognise that not all women in Cambodia are alike and that even within inequality, they are not equal. Their individual experiences are shaped by myriad cultural, social, racial, religious, ethnic, and economic factors, among others.
“Voice and Visibility” uncovers how their gender, ethnicity, and age expose these women to multiple layers of discrimination, violence, and marginalisation. It found that because these minority women are subjected to both gender and ethnicity-based oppression, they face a ‘double burden.’ Additional ‘burdens’ include poverty, disability, statelessness, HIV status, and others. Wider recognition and urgent action to address these intersecting and compounding forms of oppression are needed, with indigenous and minority women at the centre of and active in any decisions that affect their lives.
Applying Feminist Participatory Action Research (FPAR) principles at all stages of its design and development, this study also equips young minority women Action Researchers with the technical research skills to harness their own expert knowledge. Representing some of Cambodia’s most marginalised minority groups, the women participants and Action Researchers in this study have explored issues pertaining to their own rights and made key recommendations to the key stakeholders. The findings call for systemic changes to address these issues and promote a more inclusive and equitable society that truly leaves no one behind.
Read and download the PDF for free here: Voice and Visibility 2024
