Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - Women’s youth group ‘WE Act’ holds forum

Women’s youth group ‘WE Act’ holds forum

Content image - Phnom Penh Post
The Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Act youth ambassador team. PHOTO SUPPLIED

Women’s youth group ‘WE Act’ holds forum

Youth Ambassadors of Women Entrepreneurs Act (WE Act) held the “WE Light Up Talk” youth forum on January 28 to raise awareness and gave young members of the disabled, LGBT and indigenous communities the opportunity to demonstrate leadership and social participation.

Women Entrepreneurs (WE) Act is an organisation which supports women in business.

Held with the theme “Leadership and Youth Participation in Society”, the forum was led by Samheng Boros, minister delegate attached to the prime minister and secretary of state at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation.

The forum provided a safe place for young people from marginalised communities to share their diverse experiences with the public.

“We aimed to encourage young people to participate in the programme and share their experiences. We also wanted them to describe how they were able to choose to live their lives the way they want to,” Nann Pechpheary, a youth ambassador for the programme’s Active Women Entrepreneurs Project, told The Post.

At her fourth year international relations student at the Royal University of Phnom Penh, she was one of six young women who signed up as interns to the project, which is led by Thon Rithysochen.

Rithysochen, who holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambodia, told the Post: “We are actively involved in creating and implementing activities that allow young people and young women entrepreneurs to have their voices heard and seek solutions to common problems that they encounter.”

“Through volunteering with our project, the youth ambassadors not only have the opportunity to build their own capacity, they also receive training to ensure they have the skills to lead future projects that are sustainable and progressive,” she said.

She added that the forum participants had the opportunity to network with other young people and learned about the life of speakers from diverse communities. They also gained a deeper understanding of their own leadership potential.

“When we have confidence in ourselves, we recognise our true self, have the courage to make decisions and can encourage and connect with other young people to work towards a more positive and sustainable society,” she concluded.

Speakers addressed the forum were Rocham Mony who is a young indigenous woman from Ratanakkiri province and had overcame many obstacles to achieve her goal of studying at university; and Tol Chhour Kimheng, a young gay man who spoke about his fight to overcome social pressure and discrimination, both at school and in the workplace.

Two other speakers were Sar San and Ul Salao. Sar San was born with a disability but lives her own confident life. She had addressed her journey to finding happiness.

Ul Salao is a young man from a small village in a remote rural area. He shared how he came to be studying in Phnom Penh., and speak about his future wishes.

The forum was supported by USAID, through the WE Act Women Entrepreneurs Project of PACT Cambodia.

MOST VIEWED

  • Wing Bank opens new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004

    Wing Bank celebrates first anniversary as commercial bank with launch of brand-new branch. One year since officially launching with a commercial banking licence, Wing Bank on March 14 launched a new branch in front of Orkide The Royal along Street 2004. The launch was presided over by

  • Girl from Stung Meanchey dump now college grad living in Australia

    After finishing her foundational studies at Trinity College and earning a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Melbourne in 2022, Ron Sophy, a girl who once lived at the Stung Meanchey garbage dump and scavenged for things to sell, is now working at a private

  • Ministry using ChatGPT AI to ‘ease workload’; Khmer version planned

    The Digital Government Committee is planning to make a Khmer language version of popular artificial intelligence (AI) technology ChatGPT available to the public in the near future, following extensive testing. On March 9, the Ministry of Post and Telecommunications revealed that it has been using the

  • Wat Phnom hornbills attract tourists, locals

    Thanks to the arrival of a friendly flock of great hornbills, Hour Rithy, a former aviculturist – or raiser of birds – in Kratie province turned Phnom Penh tuk tuk driver, has seen a partial return to his former profession. He has become something of a guide

  • PM urges end to ‘baseless’ international Ream base accusations

    Prime Minister Hun Sen urges an end to “baseless” foreign accusations surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s Ream Naval Base, as the US has consistently suggested that the base is being expanded to accommodate a Chinese military presence. Hun Sen renewed his calls while

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to