feminism
(Illustration: Michael Dickison/VOD)

Opinion: Shame Around Premarital Sex Is Making Abortions More Dangerous

Abortions have been legal in Cambodia since 1997, but social, cultural and religious stigmas are preventing women from accessing them in safe settings. Cambodia needs information campaigns that tackle the stigmas keeping women silent, writes Future Forum’s Heng Molika.

Women politicians who ran in the June 4 election, Chao Ratanak, Orm Youreth and Sor Sarath.

Opinion: Cambodia’s Women Politicians Lead With Empathy, Pragmatism

In the recent election, it was women candidates who promoted empathy in policy. Empathy is stereotypically seen as feminine, and men who cultivate it can face ridicule. But empathetic leadership, beyond populist messaging, is needed and effective, Future Forum’s Theang Soriya says.

A lawmaker votes on legislation at the National Assembly on May 11, 2022.

Opinion: Should Cambodia Adopt a Gender Quota Policy?

Cultural barriers to greater women’s equality in Cambodia require a major shake-up to dislodge, and quotas — whether mandatory or voluntary — have been necessary globally to make even gradual progress, writes Future Forum’s Heng Molika.

‘Virginity Culture’ Weighs Heavily on Women but in Decline, Study Says

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.

Vote counting at Chea Sim Boeng Keng Kang High School in Phnom Penh on June 5, 2022. (Tran Techseng/VOD)

10% of New Commune Chiefs Are Women

Only 1 in 10 commune chiefs elected across the country last month are women, as a ruling party spokesman said what mattered was effective gender-promoting policies and not the gender of candidates.