Action Research - Promoting Political Participation of Indigenous Women in Cambodia

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Photo by Margherita Maffii

Despite considerable progress in the past decade, Cambodian women remain largely marginalized within the political sphere. In the Northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Kratie, indigenous women’s participation in formal political processes is even more difficult. In order to successfully promote the participation of indigenous women in local decision making it is necessary to better understand their perceptions and aspirations. Indigenous communities are undergoing dramatic changes that are affecting their way of life, and their economic, social and cultural world. Some of these changes affect both women and men, but some are gender specific and have a deep impact on the life of indigenous women. The capacity of indigenous women to participate in political processes and represent their communities is closely related to such changes. Objectives and Scope The aim of the study is to provide understanding and insight concerning:

  • traditional governance structures, decision making processes and women’s leadership roles in indigenous communities
  • recent changes to those traditional structures, as well as their underlying factors
  • challenges and obstacles faced by indigenous women in successfully articulating their political agenda and participation in governance
  • obstacles to their participation in formal political processes Moreover, the study provides specific recommendations on how to promote the political participation of indigenous women. The research covers the four northeastern provinces of Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri, Stung Treng and Kratie.

 

Full study in (English, PDF, 51 pages, 489 KB) By Margherita Maffii and Hong Sineath


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