Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Prak Sokhonn said Cambodia is committed to further professional and civil recruitment of women and integrating their contributions as the nation continues to develop.

Sokhonn delivered an introductory speech at the opening session of Strengthening Women’s Roles in Building and Sustaining Peace: from Commitments to Results, an international conference held online on December 7.

“I reaffirm Cambodia’s continued determination to increase its recruitment of women, to create environments conducive to women realising their full potential and to expand women’s participation in sustainable development and peace-building processes around the world,” he said at end of his remarks.

From its tragic past, Cambodia has witnessed the fortitude and resilience of women in rebuilding society and engendering a peaceful and secure environment vital for economic and social development, Sokhonn said.

He noted that the government had taken efforts to promote women, who now constitute 41 percent of the civil service workforce, with a growing number engaged in leadership and decision-making positions.

“[Today,] women enjoy better social protection and support through the promotion of access to healthcare, legal advocacy and justice against violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation – as well as access to economic resources such as the expansion of credit for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises [MSMEs], 61 per cent of which has gone to women entrepreneurs,” he said.

Since 2006, Cambodia has deployed 419 women among 7,123 peacekeepers to UN missions in nine countries. Currently, 92 women are among 781 Cambodian troops deployed in five missions. Cambodia ranks second in ASEAN behind Indonesia and 17th in the world for its share of female troops contributed to the UN peacekeeping efforts.

UN resident coordinator to Cambodia Pauline Tamesis said the UN encourages governments to put women at the centre of their efforts for sustainable development, peace-building and recovery from Covid-19. That starts with women as leaders, with equal representation and decision-making power, she said.

“Protection and expansion of rights and participation of women in public affairs are critical for shaping a more resilient future. Gender equality and women’s rights are essential to getting through this pandemic together, to recovering faster, and to building a more peaceful and better future for everyone,” she said.