It was interesting to research what makes a woman a woman in Cambodia considering that woman make up 51% of the country’s population. I was thinking since there are more women than men that it would be fairly equal, but I was wrong. What I discovered is that women are very overlooked and not given the same equality as a male. There seems to be an unfortunate trend for the way females are treated because they start to engrave this behavior in the youth. Women and young girls are not given the same opportunity in the educational realm as males are. Females are expected to help out at home, while the men attend school to get a good education. They are expected to learn the ropes at home to be a nurturing, loving, and caring provider while being able to one day raise their own family that way the husband can work. Marriages are often still arranged, and the couple doesn’t always meet in person for the first time until the actual day. One thing that they do play a role in, is promoting products and goods. While this can make them successful in selling goods, they ultimately have no say in any big decisions or leadership opportunities.

Women have never really had a say in government/politics, leadership roles, or success in their own lives, until recently. This is because they have been viewed as “weak” and “dependent” on men. Society thinks that since women have never played a role in any big position or helped aid in any decision making that they are “incapable” of ever helping or holding a position that high. They are scolded by their husbands for trying to ever stand up for themselves and even then, a woman can’t get angry or speak out about how a male is making her feel when he is angry at her. 

Strict rules have been put in place for women in Cambodia and they have gone without question for generations. The country itself has been through so much over the past several decades that they have been trying to slowly grow and rebuild. I found that women are feeling more strongly towards their rights and want to break the social norm that are currently put in place. For so long, women have been known to do all the labor in the home, while the men did the labor outside the home. It has been taught in schools, society, and the government for so long that men and women each have their own duties to perform and they stick to those responsibilities. Even today, it seems as though the role of women has not changed much. But as a new generation of empowering females are being raised, that is all about to change. 

One thing that I found interesting was that women were strongly prohibited to engage in sex before marriage, while men were allowed to have as intercourse and as many prostitutes as he may please, as long as he would stop once he was married. If women do engage in sex before marriage, they are considered “cursed” for the rest of their lives not only by their friends and family, but also for society. Sex for women is a purity and a virtue and to do out of wedlock is dirty and their reputation will be ruined forever. The sad thing that really got me was that a lot of females, including the youth were put through sex trafficking. Which is terrifying as a young adult me. But here in America to be a survivor you are brave, strong, beautiful, and it is okay to share your story to help spread awareness and get the help you need in order to try to be okay again. There, women are shamed for something they want nothing to do with. They don’t choose to ever be put in that position, but it very sad to hear that after all that they go through, they aren’t supported by society for being a survivor. 

It is very eye opening to see how much our rights are protected here in American and how we are free to feel, speak, and act. I would never want to be somewhere where I couldn’t make decisions for myself or decide what my own future looks like. I did notice that the country is trying to gain equality for women and bring about change, but it is a very difficult and timely process.

Mohan, C. Raja, et al. “The Role of Women in Cambodia.” The Asia Foundation, https://asiafoundation.org/resources/pdfs/CambodiaWEPFINAL.pdf. 

“A Proper Woman – Breaking Down Gender Norms in Cambodia.” Where There Be Dragons, 15 June 2017, www.wheretherebedragons.com/news/a-proper-woman-breaking-down-gender-norms-in-cambodia/.

“Health of Men, Women, and Children in Post-Trafficking Services in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam: An Observational Cross-Sectional Study.” The Lancet Global Health, Elsevier, 19 Feb. 2015, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214109X15700161.

Eng, Sothy, et al. “Domestic Violence against Women in Cambodia: Husband’s Control, Frequency of Spousal Discussion, and Domestic Violence Reported by Cambodian Women.” SpringerLink, Springer US, 20 Oct. 2009, link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10896-009-9287-7.