Nann Mara is at university studying law: only the third person from the indigenous communities in her district in Ratanakiri to seek a higher education. Less than 1% of all indigenous people aged 15 and over have even completed high school.
An Education Ministry official warned that students who fell behind during Covid-19 school shutdowns will struggle to catch up to previous generations, though an NGO-led education program showed initial positive results for 2nd and 3rd graders in one Siem Reap district.
Just a fraction of the country’s garment factories, predominantly staffed by women, have a child-care center. With reduced fees, healthy meals and a strict no-phone policy, a Kampong Speu child-care center is trying to fill the gap and ease the burden on working women.
Many young Cambodian rappers are steering clear of social commentary in their lyrics, making artists like Kea Sokun part of a small cohort of musicians rapping about social justice and economic inequity, though laden with nationalistic overtones.
Men in Cambodia are free to choose premarital sex but women are burdened with gossip and disgrace, respondents to a study on the country’s “virginity culture” said, as advocates urged acceptance as well as sensitivity toward existing beliefs in addressing the gender-based shame.
The Cambodia International Film Festival is headed into its final screenings today. The works showcased so far have explored poverty and development in Cambodia, pride in the country’s history, and a diversity of emotions felt in lives across the country.
The press conference included human rights NGOs, a rare sight that both a gov’t spox and civil society representatives said was a good step.
As journalists and observers were again harassed and threatened at NagaWorld protests this week, the Information Ministry said lower-level authorities did not appear to fully understand their roles and acted outside of their remit.
Expectations were high on opening night of the 11th annual Cambodian International Film Festival, the first since the Covid pandemic. After two years of waiting, around 170 films from Cambodia and abroad will be played for free at various theaters around Phnom Penh.
The prime minister released a 7-minute audio message late Tuesday night saying “Covid-19 had started again.” Ten cases were reported on Wednesday.
VOD is an independent media outlet producing radio programs and disseminating information to the public via the Internet.
© 2019 VOD. All Rights Reserved.
