Mrs. LEV Malis, 27, from Pouk District, Siem Reap Province was married to a violent and cheating man for seven years, with whom she had two children. Mrs. Malis got depressed and did not dare to go out or face the problem. Sometimes she considered ending her life. She had no one listen to her or be her peer support but was instead blamed by her parents for not being patient enough to be a good woman.
One day, Malis met a leader of Community Based Organization (CBO), Mrs. Tep Mey, who gave her advice and referred her to the Banteay Srei Organization, which provides support to women who are victims of domestic violence. Through the support of Banteay Srei, Malis embarked on a new journey of hope, confidence, and be able to live free from violence. She left her husband, taking her two children with her, and is seeking a divorce, a decision that requires her to overcome many challenges, including social norms that frown on divorce and a difficult legal process.
On September 14, 2022, Malis decided to become a volunteer for Banteay Srei. She attended her first training courses on leadership, self-awareness and facilitation skills and then joined many other workshops about gender-based violence, sexual harassment, abuse and other topics. After attending training workshops and meetings, she gained courage, and shared some of her life experiences, including how she built her self-esteem and self-motivation. In December 2022, she had gained enough confidence to be a guest speaker in the 16-day Campaign to discuss the topic “End Violence Against Women.”
In early 2023, Malis started her own small business in Pouk Market, Siem Reap Province. Her business provides enough income to take care of her two children. She was inspired to share her good business start-up experience, including using digital technology and online marketing, with other women leaders at the Women Leadership Forum in April 2023.
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Indigenous youths’ improvement on mobile report
Being trained to use a smartphone to report reflects the view of indigenous youth. “This training is very significant for me since I could use it to empower my community and share with outsiders who we are and what we are living with.” Mr. Lao Bundinh is a Jarai indigenous youth. He was born in a rural area of Phork Thom village, Phork Nhai commune, Ouyadav district, Ratanakiri province, and he has lived there for 27 years. He did not have much knowledge of story writing as well as photos and video shooting. However, he would like to share his daily life as an indigenous youth, his livelihood, and culture, as well as the environment in his community with other people through social media. Mr. Lao Bundinh was sharing how to cut the video by using smartphone during the mobile report training provided by CIPL. Until when he got to know about the mobile report training organized by Conserve Indigenous Peoples Languages (CIPL) in collaboration with Open Development Cambodia (ODC), he had the chance to learn what he liked and waiting for. He joined the mobile report training, which aims to build the capacity of indigenous youths on how to use a mobile phone to report on natural resources management by writing stories and using photos as the evidence-based mechanism on 21 – 22 September 2022 in Ratanakiri province. It required him to put more effort and time into improving his skills. Indigenous youths were joining the training on the mobile report provided by CIPL at Ratanakiri province. His commitment to sharing what is happening within his community inspired him to persevere through the challenges. Currently, he can write a story and edit a video to share on the social media platform. He feels very thankful for the organizer giving him an opportunity to learn what he always wishes to. He posted his own video, “Finished the mobile report training on environment, video shooting, and video editing from CIPL, I could do some practices,” to illustrate the beauty of the forest, environment, and livelihood of his community on social media.
Fostering legislative review: Empowering the implementation of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA)
In 2023, the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) took a significant step towards environmental stewardship by officially endorsing the Environment and Natural Resources Code (ENR Code). This landmark decision incorporated the implementation of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) as a pivotal element in driving development. Recognizing the significance of this initiative, ODC committed itself to actively supporting the enforcement, dissemination, and monitoring of SEA progress. As part of this commitment, on November 22, ODC, with support from USAID through FHI 360, organized a highly impactful workshop/dialogue to discuss the implementation of SEA. This event brought together key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment\'s Department of EIA and the National Council for Sustainable Development (NCSD), as well as representatives from the Ministry of Planning, the Ministry of Tourism, an EIA consultancy firm, and ClientEarth. The participation extended to over 50 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), journalists, and indigenous representatives from various provinces, all working collaboratively towards sustainable development and inclusivity. The success of the project implementation is evident in the positive shift observed in the behavior of relevant ministries. The increased responsiveness and active participation of these ministries showcase the tangible impact of the project. This success not only marks a significant milestone in advancing SEA implementation but also underscores the project\'s contribution to fostering positive changes within governmental entities, fostering a more collaborative and participatory approach to sustainable national development.
Pride Champions
KUY SovannChai, 17, is a student at General Education and Technical High School in Siem Reap province. Sovannchai became a member of Pride Corner’s core team after he participated in SOGIESC training conducted by Love in Diversity (LID) on August 30-31, 2023. Being a part of the core team, he frequently shares his knowledge to acquaintances about LGBTQI+ and SOGIESC in order for them to gain better understanding. Sovannchai believes that this is valuable information worth learning and spreading. He expressed satisfaction that CSS, through KYA, established a Pride Corner at his school. He believes that the Pride Corner serves as an exceptional place for fostering information dissemination and discussion related to LGBTQI+ issues. In addition, Sovannchai applied the knowledge he gained during the training session to participate in an essay competition focused on respect for LGBTQI+ rights and eliminating discrimination. As a result of his efforts, his essay was one of the top ten essays received. The competition was organized by KYA leading up to the Angkor Youth Camp. In contrast to Sovannchai, HEUN Chanmakara, 22, wasn’t always in agreement with the concept of LGBTQI+. His perception changed following his experience of volunteering with the organizing team for the 9th AYC. Prior to the camp, Makara openly expressed his disapproval of LGBTQI+ individuals during his guest appearance in KYA’s “I Know We Know” podcast. He perceived individuals identified as LGBTQI+ as abnormal and admitted to discriminating against them by avoiding any interaction with them. Taking part in AYC changed Makara’s mindset when it comes to LGBTQI+ and SOGIESC. Makara expressed that he understands these concepts better than ever before. “If a friend confides in me about their identity as an LGBTQI+ individual in future, they can rest assured that they have a supportive ally who will never discriminate against them”, said Makara. Similar to Makara, PREM Neth, 19, wasn’t always very familiar with the topic of LGBTQI+ or SOGIESC. After joining the same training that Sovannchai did with KYA and LID, Neth’s view was expanded. Neth shared that it was her first training about the topic and she, along with other students, gained lots of insights from the training, especially various struggles and challenges faced by LGBTQI+ people. Neth said: “I used to call names to my gay friends making fun of them. I didn’t think that the name calling was hurtful and affected their feelings. It was a mistake that I regret.” “I have since apologized to them and stopped calling them names. I also encouraged other friends to follow my footsteps as well,” Neth added. Neth’s story serves as a great example of how a bit of open-mindedness goes a long way. Not only did she change her own mindset, but she is determined to help changing others,’ including those of her own family. Neth expressed that her participation in KYA’s activities met with a lot of questions at first from her parents, but after taking time to explain to them, her parents approved of her involvement with KYA’s activities. PREM Neth is one of KYA’s core members who often participated in KYA’s activities, including sharing sessions