Meas Nem fixes fishing nets.

Women who make their living by working in fishing communities in Cambodia are in focus at a photo exhibition that runs all this month at the Foreign Correspondents Club in Phnom Penh.

With a private viewing at 6pm tomorrow night, UK photographer Dylan Walker is keen to explain the results of visiting six different villages on the south coast last February, including Kep and Sihanoukville.

Walker, 29, presents 30 of his best photos with detailed captions that  centre on the importance of women in Cambodia’s fishing industry.

“It’s a documentary exhibition,” explains Walker. “They give an idea what it’s like to be in a fishing village, the scenery, the people, the activities and the environment that it encompasses and the idea of gender roles.”

The exhibition is funded by the Regional Fisheries Livelihood Programme for South and Southeast Asia, established by the Kingdom of Spain in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization to improve small-scale fishing communities and practices in the region.

Although women were the main focus of his latest work, Walker says he became aware of other important topics while visiting the coastal communities with a translator.

“One of the big things threatening their livelihood is illegal fishing and trawling,” he explains.  He also learned that each town has a leader that is responsible for micro-financing and fostering contacts with

NGOs, including one who is female. The exhibition runs at FCC, 383 Sisowath Quay, all month, with free admission.