A total of 58 female rangers from environmental departments of 14 provinces on April 5 completed a three-day course on gender-equality leadership in natural resource management in Kampong Thom province, according to an environment ministry statement.

Conducted in collaboration with a gender-focused team from the ministry and Regional Community Forestry Training Centre (RECOFTC), the course included training on Avenza Maps, GPS, drones and similar geographical information tools for daily patrols and other tasks.

Ministry secretary of state Mom Thany said her ministry and the aforementioned team both push for female rangers to attain at least the levels of knowledge, skills and competencies possessed by their male counterparts.

The course aimed to empower female rangers to reach their potential, improve their employment and livelihoods prospects, and become exemplary family and community leaders, she indicated.

She called on women to strive to improve themselves; motivate, encourage and support each other; seize opportunities; be strong and brave; voice their opinions; and solve problems procedurally.

Rangers must possess a lot of knowledge and many skills to effectively raise awareness of climate change, its consequences, and adaptation and mitigation strategies among local communities, Thany stressed.