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The Gender Project of NGO Forum had its beginnings in the "Women Working Group" formed in 1997. Since then it has conducted monthly Gender Forum meetings, organised annual International Women's Day events, organised advocacy skills training for women, and responded to various issues affecting women in Cambodia.
Building on this earlier work, the Gender Project is now focussed on direct advocacy to help eradicate the inequalities existing between women and men in Cambodian society. The Gender Project is now geared towards complimenting and strengthening gender-related advocacy in the other areas of NGO Forum’s work, including development policies, poverty reduction strategies, and the empowerment of local communities over a range of issues.
Although the NGO Forum tries to mainstream gender into all its programmes, this by itself is not sufficient to ensure that women’s concerns are given proper attention. As in many countries, Cambodian women play a subservient role in Cambodian society. They typically have had less educational opportunities than men, and fewer opportunities for exercising leadership and to exercise their social and economic rights. Development policies and practices are often gender-blind, and community attitudes reinforce women’s subservient role. Issues such as gender and food security get insufficient attention from policy makers.
1. Awareness of gender issues and the engendering of economic rights are promoted among NGOs and the wider community.
2. Government, multilateral banks, and donors, are made aware of NGO concerns regarding gender issues in relation
to development plans and poverty reduction strategies.
3. The capacity of participants to take leadership in Gender Forum activities is strengthened.
