In the wake of over 25 years of war, revolution and social devastation, with the United Nations organized elections, the Cambodian constitutional monarchy had been drafted and adopted on 21 of September 1993. It enshrines the Cambodia’s sovereignty, freedom and democracy, human rights, and equal opportunity for men and women. We all recognize the tremendous tasks that all the involved parties had to overcome.
The Constitutional Assembly clearly stated that The Kingdom of Cambodia shall respect the human rights as stipulated in the United Nations Chapter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Covenants and Conventions related to human rights, women’s rights and children’s rights”(Article 31, Chapter III.)
The article cited above is one of the most important articles about PEOPLE' S RIGHTS that every Cambodian citizen should know and demand for effective implementation.
The constitution also provides equal rights to boys and girls up to nine years of age for free education.
Despites many efforts in drafting and adopting the laws, Cambodia is still weak in disseminating and enforcing the existing laws due to the lack of financial as well as human resources. Besides, the problems outweigh the resources. Women and children remain a disadvantage group, between 70% and 90% of adult women over 25 years old have not completed primary education vis-à-vis 40% and 72% of adult men. Women constitute 52% of the population, 30% of all households are female headed and 41% of these women are widows.
Women constitute 74% of the total labor force and they are traditionally in charge of the family income. Women often work 16 hours a day because their double roles, income generator and caretaker/manager of the household. Women handle all the family economy and budget. Their job has become frustrating when the income is limited while the necessary expenses just have food for the family exceeds all the resources available. Facing such situations, young girls are obligated to quit school to help out their mothers because by tradition, women should be confined at home to prepare themselves to become a good wife and good mother with complete inward beauty. In addition, the stereotype on women is very negative for the work outside the home, which minimizes the need for the education. Consequently, the women are second citizens discriminated by their own people and Cambodia has lost the very important constituents, WOMEN the rich resource, the back bone of the country.
The negative views on women and the obsolete practices of the old days, many centuries old, that no longer fit need to be changed in order for Cambodia to fully develop and eventually reach the pace of the world. It is a long way to go. But, it is the time to start and we all should be the changing factors.
