CSS produced a short video to highlight the internship experiences of former communications intern and Jarai indigenous youth Romam Leap. The video was very well received by the public on social media, generating approximately 150 reactions, 52 shares, and 2,700 views on Facebook
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Renewed purpose: Raising awareness on sexual Harassment one community at a time
Sinath is a leader of a commune-based organization (CBO) in her community. She started volunteering with Banteay Srei in 2008. Sinath wasn’t always very confident and active in her community. Living in a small community, Sinath faced pressures related to societal and family norms, stereotypes, and judgements. She took on traditional roles of taking care of her children, husband, and in-laws and didn’t feel brave enough to socialize outside the house and attend village activities or meetings. After becoming a volunteer with BS, Sinath had more opportunities to attend different events with BS. Those events – meetings, trainings, public forums, study tours – in her province and beyond have helped her to build knowledge and experience. Now, Sinath has a better understanding of leadership and her self-worth. She has also gained new skills such as public speaking, communications, planning, business, community mobilization, and facilitation. Sinath continues to equip herself with new knowledge and skills. In 2023, she learned and gained new knowledge from BS on sexual harassment. Sinath is a member of one of the five CBOs selected by BS to receive sexual harassment training. Sinath finds this new knowledge very important for her and other women in her community. After the training, she is able to recognize different types of harassment as well as harmful and discriminatory jokes often made by people around her. Sinath believes that lessons on sexual harassment can help men to understand and cease their discriminatory behavior that leads to sexual harassment. After the training, she has applied what she learned in her daily life and among her monthly saving group that she belongs to. Her peers showed a lot of interest in the subject and expressed that this would help them shift their perception and inspire some positive changes in their daily lives. For the future, Sinath plans to advocate on the issue of sexual harassment in her village by using operational funds received from Village Savings/Credit Group program. Along with the advocacy effort, she also plans to raise awareness on other topics such as importance of educating children, the impact of young marriage, gender-based violence, leadership, and positive thinking.
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.
Breaking chains: A woman’s journey from a violent trap to freedom
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.