CCHR's Press Release: CC​HR calls on Cambodians to combat homophobic violence against women

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SRP's Appeal to Stop State Act of Violence against Women

Appeal to Stop

State Act of Violence against Women

(Translated version)

"Violence against women constitutes a violation of basic human rights and is an obstacle to the achievement of the objectives of equality, development and peace", Fourth World Conference on Women- Platform for Action

As elected representatives of the people, we recognize the vital participation and contribution made by women in all sectors, in particular the garment industry, agriculture and micro-business.

As elected representatives of the people, we are gravely alarmed by and condemn the excessive use of force by the military police, local police and hired security guards to crack down on female factory workers who demand better working conditions and fair wages.(1)

As elected representatives of the people, we have intervened on behalf of women farmers and hundreds and thousands of families who are brutally forced out of their land and their homes.(2) These evictions are often carried out violently by police, military police or private armed forces, despite prohibitions under the Land Law.(3)

These systematic acts of violence against women are widespread and committed by the state against its own people. Serious injuries including miscarriages have occurred without proper compensation, medical treatment, investigation or prosecution.(4)

Domestic violence against Cambodian women declines

June 29, 2010
Xinhua

Cambodian government announced Tuesday that domestic violence, especially against women in the country was significantly declined from a year earlier.

In a new result which was surveyed by Cambodian government through Ministry of Women's Affairs in cooperation with international organizations including the German GTZ, showed that domestic violence, especially against women declined from 64 percent in 2005 to 53 percent in 2009.

The survey was conducted on behaviors toward violence among spouses and towards other families'members.

As many as 3,040 people at their ages of 15 and above, and were living in 13 out of 24 provinces and cities across the nation were interviewed in the survey.

Among the questions, included the insult, curse, rape, physical assault as well as acid attack and shooting.

The answers showed that the misconducts with such behavior declined to 53 percent in 2009 compared to 64 percent in 2005, according to the result of the survey.

The result also showed that majority of Cambodians is aware of the new law on prevention of domestic violence, and more than 80 percent of women and 91 percent of men said domestic violence in all serious forms shall be avoided. Domestic violence against women remains a major issue in Cambodia.

Many women have been subjected to sexual and physical violence often committed by their husbands.

Fear of retaliation and financial costs of bringing a case to court, or even in obtaining a medical certificate from a doctor to prove the abuse, also discourage many Cambodian women from speaking out.

Violence Against Women Intolerable: Official

Keth Mardy, head of the legal affairs department, Ministry of Women's Affairs.

By Sok Khemara, VOA Khmer
Washington
02 December 2008

Click here to listen to the Khmer audio program

A government official on Monday urged women who are victims of a crime to take action against the perpetrator.

"For the Ministry of Women's Affairs, it is clear that any violation against women's rights must not be tolerated," said Keth Mardy, head of the legal affairs department for the ministry, said, as a guest on "Hello VOA."

Domestic violence and other crimes, including rape, continue to plague Cambodia, but Keth Mardy said sometimes women were loathe to complain about their husbands, who are often breadwinners.

Other women, she said, may not know their legal rights.

"It depends on the individual victim, whether to file a complaint or not," Keth Mardy said.

The Ministry of Women's Affairs is currently in the middle of a 16-day campaign against violence against women.

Cambodian Women Suffer Increasing Violence

Cambodian girls smile in front of the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Aug. 14, 2007. (AFP Photo)

2008-11-26
Radio Free Asia

A gruesome assault on two Cambodian women highlights what the government says is an escalating pattern of violence against women.

PHNOM PENH—A Khmer-American man has confessed to pouring gasoline on his fiancée and her sister and burning them at their home in Cambodia’s northwestern Battambang province, authorities here say, amid what the government describes as a worsening pattern of violence against women.

Tan Nilong, 56, who lives in Auckland, California, admitted in Battambang Court on Nov. 25 that he attempted to burn 21-year-old Yan Kimhean to death because she had broken off their engagement.

Tan Sophal, chief of provincial military police, said that the evidence found at Yan’s home in the Baek Chan village of Prek Preah Sdach commune was consistent with the admission.

“This is a case of jealousy…evidence left at the scene of the crime consists of a bag, a slightly-burnt [five liter] jerry can, and a small knife,” Tan said.

The victim’s family has filed a complaint demanding U.S.$250,000 in compensation and medical treatment for both of the young women injured in the attack.

Khmer officials said the U.S. Embassy had agreed that Tan should be tried under Cambodian law because he hadn’t yet completed the U.S. naturalization process.

‘I saw the face clearly’

Tan Nilong was engaged to Yan Kimhean on June 29 but Yan broke off the engagement in November, saying she no longer trusted her fiancé, relatives said.

The victims’ mother, Pin Sarath, said in an interview that her two daughters, Yan Kimhean and Yan Chanrith, 14, were washing dishes behind their home on the evening of Nov. 22 when Tan Nilong attacked them.

“They [the daughters] asked for the engagement [with Yan Kimhean] to be ended. He said all right and then he drove a motorcycle away,” Pin said. “No one expected he would do such a thing. My daughters were washing the dishes at the back of the house. He poured gasoline on them and burnt them.”

Yan Chanrith, whose arms and legs were burned in the incident, said she had no doubt that it was Tan who had attacked them.

“I was washing the dishes with my older sister when Ta [Grandfather] Long [Tan Nilong] walked toward us and started to douse us with gasoline. I stood up and saw his face clearly—it was that Long who poured the gasoline and burnt us,” she said.

The victims were sent to Visal Sokh Hospital in Battambang and on the morning of Nov. 23 were transferred to Phnom Penh for further medical treatment. Yan Kimhean suffered serious burns over most of her body.

New report

Tan Nilong’s confession came as the Cambodian Ministry of Women's Affairs issued a new report Wednesday that says abuse against women and girls is escalating in Cambodia.

The Cambodian Gender Assessment Survey 2008 reported that nearly one-quarter of all females in Cambodia have suffered domestic violence, with young girls increasingly a target of sexual assault.

Increasing use of drugs and alcohol by men has increased attacks, including gang rape, against female Cambodians, the report said, calling on law enforcement agencies to redouble their efforts to combat them.

Still, Minister of Women's Affairs Ing Kantha Phavi cited some progress in combating violence against women.

The government “has taken significant steps to reduce violence against women,” she said in a statement, alluding to laws against domestic abuse and official benchmarks on violence and human trafficking.

The government released its report on the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Rape is a criminal offense and punishable by a prison sentence of between five and 10 years, according to the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) law.

The nonprofit group ADHOC [the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association] said that between January and October it received 1,017 complaints regarding violence against women and children.

These included 584 concerning domestic violence, 368 concerning rape, and 65 complaints related to human trafficking.

Lim Mony, head of the ADHOC working group, said that according to the reports and complaints she has received, violence against women in Cambodia is on the rise.

“We find the major problems to include a lack of proper law enforcement, a lack of awareness [of the laws] by the Khmer people, and poverty conditions,” Lim Mony said.

Chhay Kimsor, of the Gender and Development for Cambodia project, said his group this week launched a campaign through Dec. 10 targeting four provinces—Banteay Meanchey, Pursat, Kompong Chhnang, and Prey Veng.

“We’ll have roundtable discussions on TV, radio talk shows, public meetings, and marches to distribute ribbons, leaflets, stickers, posters, and banners,” he said.

Original reporting by Sophal Mony, Ma Yarith, Um Sarin, and Keo Nimol for RFA’s Khmer service. Khmer service director: Sos Kem. Written for the Web in English by Joshua Lipes. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.

Violence and trafficking of women on the rise in Siem Reap

02 January 2008
By Sav Yuth
Radio Free Asia
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Human rights organizations and organizations defending women facing problems in Siem Reap province indicated that the beating up of women working in Karaoke bar and night clubs by these establishment owners, and the trafficking of women in the province are increasing at an alarming level.

The Adhoc organization indicated that for the entire 2007, 6 Karaoke women workers were beaten up by the bosses, and proper justice was not rendered in any of the beating cases.

The Cambodian organization for helping women facing problems indicated that 49 women from out of the provinces were brought in for trafficking purposes.

Suos Narin, an Adhoc investigator, said on Wednesday 02 January that the beating of Karaoke women workers by the bosses never happened in 2006.

Suos Narin said: “The choice of words used by some the (Karaoke women workers) disappoints the clients. For a number of them, the owner of the Karaoke bars forced them to serve the clients and attract them, and they have to do whatever it takes to attract customers in large number.”

Tieng Chanry, a worker at the Morokot Karaoke Club, located in Siem Reap province, and who is currently seeking help from NGOs, claimed that Hea Da, aka Channy, her boss, beat her up and gashed her head in the evening of 01 January because of a dispute she had with her supervisor. However, this violence was rejected by her boss and her advisor.

NGOs indicated that women working in Karaoke bars, massage shops, and night clubs, are facing with the beating from their bosses who are forcing these women to fulfill the wishes of their clients even if this means being raped by the clients or being subjected to sex trafficking.

Chab Muot, an investigator for the Cambodian organization for helping women facing problems, said that the number of human trafficking cases in 2007 is higher to the 2006 numbers. In 2006, the total number of cases was only 30 and they involved young girls who left their villages to find work in Karaoke bars, massage parlors, and night clubs, in Siem Reap province.

Sub Bun Thorng, the director of the anti-human traffic department of the Siem Reap province police force, said that the authority is putting effort to prevent these illegal activities, and it is not negligent in its operation.

Sun Bun Thorng said: “In 2007, there are 47 illegal sex cases, and we resolve 40 of the cases already.”

Nevertheless, NGOs are criticizing that the resolution in the beating of women workers by their bosses and the anti-human trafficking is not very efficient because the culprits have money, and they are also backed by powerful (government) people.

Cambodia: Where are all the "good men"?

Villagers march to raise awareness of domestic violence in Kandal Province. (Photo: Sopheak Kong, World Vision)

26 Nov 2007
World Vision - Asia Pacific
Website: http://www.wvasiapacific.org

When children in Cambodia were asked what they considered to be a “good man,”(1) overwhelmingly they described the same person – a family man who was strong but not violent, who provided food and protection for his children and who did not drink too much or behave in a way that harmed the family reputation.

Sadly, too few of Cambodia’s children are living in a family with this “good man.” Gender-based violence, both at home and in the community, is rife in this culture.

Over 90% of children surveyed in the study said they had seen or heard of a child being beaten by their father. As these children grow up, they are in real danger of inheriting the same values that have allowed domestic violence to continue unchecked in Cambodia’s villages and towns.

The results are crippling society - women unable to take any role of power inside or outside the family, children growing up frightened in their own homes, and a perceived link between strength and violence that leads to a high level of sexual abuse and rape perpetuated by teenage boys and young adults outside the home.

Involving men in the solution has long been a goal for agencies working on gender issues in Cambodia. But this has proven to be a difficult conversion in a culture so steeped in gender inequality.

Abuse tolerated by communities

Smey is a mother of four living in a slum along Battambong’s Sangker River. When she begged local shop owners to stop selling alcohol to her abusive husband, they laughed at her. Yet every member of this family bears visible scars of his violence. When he fell into the river and drowned around a year ago, it was not a tragedy for Smey – it was a deliverance.

“My experience was so bitter, I can’t describe it,” she says. “When I was pregnant he beat me all the time. I asked the neighbour if I could stay with them – but he followed me and said he wouldn’t do it again. He took me home, but less than three hours later he was beating me again.”

Smey lost that baby, and later another one, because of the severity of beating she received from him. The neighbours took her to hospital and helped her to pay for the treatment, a debt she struggled to pay back.

“When I got out from the hospital he did not work to support the family, so my children had to work as scrap collectors to earn a little money for food. My husband sometimes beat me when I returned from doing laundry at people’s houses - he suspected me of being unfaithful. Sometimes he was drunk and not thinking clearly. Sometimes I tried to protect my children and he beat me as well.”

Living jammed up against other families, she says it was impossible for her neighbours not to know what was going on. This added to her humiliation; as it was clear her family was in crisis, she felt she was a failure. “Nobody helped us,” she remembers, “because they knew my husband. They didn’t want to help, as if it was not their business.”

Since his death, Smey says she feels released, but she is still frightened of the violence that her community tolerates, even perpetrates. “Being a mother, I worry all the time,” she says. “I am afraid that my children will follow bad people, gamblers, drug users and drinkers. I am also afraid people will rape my daughter.”

As she tells her story, Smey often stops to wipe away tears. Being able to tell her story safely, encouraged by other women in the community to believe she is not to blame, is an emotional and empowering step for her.

But stories like Smey’s have a broader significance. They can help communities to face up to their responsibilities towards women. They reveal the effects of family violence, especially on the capacity and happiness of the next generation. They show where there is room for improvement and need for shame. They help men to harden their resolve to be the “good man” they once admired so much.

Speaking out helps reduce violence

World Vision’s Reduction of Gender-based Violence Project (RGVP) has recently started to use stories to open communication between victims of violence and the people who can work to stop it.

As a group, women share their stories and decide which of them represents best their community’s experiences, needs and achievements. The story they decide on may not be the most moving or the most dramatic, but it is the one that can show the way forward for programme staff, donors and local decision-makers. The women are given the opportunity to explain not just what is happening, but also which community actions are most appropriate to break these cycles.

Often there are revelations; sometimes there are tears. It’s a cathartic process which often brings them closer as neighbours and friends. But how receptive are the men to the messages aimed at them, and the call for change?

In October World Vision helped to organize a talkback radio broadcast on Cambodia’s Women Media Centre station on the topic of domestic violence. There, 40-year-old Orm Oem, a formerly abusive husband, took the mike to extol the benefits of a non-violent household.

"When we as spouses or parents argue aggressively and scold each other, it will have an effect on our children's feelings and our neighbors,” he said. “But if we respect, forgive and understand each other, the arguments should not occur.”

Since his transformation, Orm Oem feels regret for what he has put his family through, but also pride that he is now providing his wife and children a loving and safe home environment.

"Now I have happiness in my family, and our living condition is improving,” he said.

Vorn Veth, advocacy officer for World Vision’s Reducing Gender-based Violence Project, also went on air to explain the links between violence, mental health and community well-being. He urged listeners to get involved in protecting their communities. “We must work hand in hand to reduce the issue in our country,” he said.

As well as encouraging men to change their ways, he advised victims of ways to help themselves. “You have to be courageous to advocate when you are beaten,” he told listeners. “But you can ask for help from local authorities, NGOs, or neighbours to intervene.”

A rally in Svay Prey village, Kandal, earlier this year, became an opportunity for people from all walks of life to have their say on domestic violence. Around 250 people took part, carrying banners which read “See and end violence” and “We want peace in our village.” As well as local families, the crowd included teachers, students, police and the village chief.

According to one villager, the rally was a sign of the community’s commitment to ending domestic violence once and for all. “It is our own issue,” he said, “and we have to face up to find the solution.”

Spoken like a true “good man.”
--------
(1) Wise before their time:Young People, Gender-based Violence and Pornography in Kandal Stung District, G. Fordham/World Vision 2005 (view document)

Domestic violence increases this year

Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Everyday.com.kh
Translated from Khmer by Socheata

Two human rights organizations indicated recently that domestic violence has increased by 15% in the first 6 months of this year, when compared to the same period last year. The Cambodia Daily report indicated that the Adhoc human rights organization received 312 reports of violence, this is an 18% increase, Licadho indicated that it receives 112 reports, this number represents an increase of 17%. Mrs. Lim Mony, director of the women program for Adhoc, said that even if there is a law to prevent domestic violence, the police and the court never follow the law. Lim Mony said among the 321 cases reported to Adhoc, the police only made 43 arrests. Furthermore, she said that those arrested have not been sentenced yet. Ker Sakhorn, a judge with the Phnom Penh municipal court, said that, this year, he will hand out jail sentence to any men causing injuries to their wives.

Reported violence against Cambodian women rising: rights group

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Attitudes towards violence against women in Cambodia slowly changing

Published on July 31, 2007
Licadho

"Before, a husband would beat his wife and children, now he just insults them..." chilling yet sobering words from a woman surveyed by LICADHO's Women's Rights Office (WRO) following the end of its pilot project in Kandal Province, which aimed to educate the community on violence against women issues.

On July 30, 2007 LICADHO's WRO celebrated the conclusion of the first of three education pilot projects with a community forum in Angsnoul district, Kandal province. The pilot project was funded by the University of Quebec in Montreal and the Canadian International Development Agency and the community forum brought to a close, planning and organising which had commenced as far back as December 2005.

The pilot project was designed to promote ownership of women's rights by equipping women in the community with practical knowledge, strategies and resources to prevent and seek redress for domestic violence, rape and trafficking violations. As part of the program 39 women, selected from eight villages, were chosen as 'focal points'. It was intended that these women would disseminate what they learnt from workshops through out the community. Similarly, 23 local authorities, comprising police, village chiefs, commune chiefs and members of the legal sector, also participated in learning about violence against women issues. Training and follow up workshops were held from August 2006 to March 2007, with a final evaluation of the project's impact in the community being conducted during the first half of 2007.

One major focus of the pilot project was learning to understand domestic violence, the impact it can have on a family and the community, the concept that it is not just an internal family issue and how to deal with and prevent it. In Cambodia, domestic violence has long been a product of cultural values and the status of women in society's eyes. Even with the passing of the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and the Protection of Victims in 2005, attitudes towards the acceptance of domestic violence as an issue concerning the community and not something to be kept private have been hard to change. The perceptions of both the public and the authorities still hold true to their long held beliefs of silence and ignorance.

Cases reported to LICADHO demonstrate the brutal extent of domestic violence in Cambodia, where husband and boyfriends subject their wives, girlfriends and children to beatings, rape, threats, burnings, acid attacks and murder. In one recent case a victim of prolonged and repeated domestic violence over 13 years was beaten and stabbed, by her husband. Her husband, in an apparent drunken rage attacked her and cut off one of her fingers. After being treated for her injuries in hospital the victim said she didn't want to divorce her husband nor file a complaint against her husband.

In the first six months of 2007, LICADHO's WRO has received reports of 102 cases of domestic violence and 44 cases of rape. According to LICADHO's monitoring of Khmer newspapers, 98 cases of domestic violence and 150 cases of rape were also reported in the same period. As LICADHO continues to investigate cases of domestic violence and rape, the WRO pilot project in Angsnoul district is one of the first important steps towards prevention of violence against women at the community level. In the coming months the WRO will move the pilot project activities to Kompong Thom and Kampot province, refining the workshops which hope to change and evolve the attitudes of the community and the authorities towards violence against women issues.

Domestic violence attitudes changing

By Tracey Shelton
Phnom Penh Post, Issue 16 / 06, March 23 - April 5, 2007

A few months after the birth of their third child, Men Savich came home to greet her husband. After a tough day at work he unleashed his anger by beating Savich until she lost consciousness. As she awoke, her husband was standing above her, kicking her repeatedly. She heard her mother-in-law tell her husband that if he didn't stop he would kill her. Somehow, Savich summoned the strength to stand and run, but her husband pursued her. She was beaten so severely that it would be five years before she regained her hearing.

For 12 years Savich and their four daughters lived with such regular abuse. She was given very little money to provide for the family, but if the food she cooked was not to her husband's liking he would become violent. Eventually her husband allowed her to leave, but with no possessions. After a long struggle Savich found a good job and was able to send her daughters to school for the first time.

In October 2005, a law against domestic violence was passed in Cambodia obliging authorities to take action if domestic violence is suspected. Authorities now have the right to enter a home without a warrant to intervene, and in extreme cases, arrest the perpetrator.

"If this law had been in place sooner I could have left my husband before things became so serious," Savich said. "I would have been able to keep some of our assets after the divorce."

Hou Phally, director of the NGO Protectors Against Domestic Violence (PADV), told the Post that the law has changed attitudes and given women more confidence to speak out. By empowering authorities to intervene, the government has recognized that domestic violence is no longer a private matter. Rights workers claim this attitude is being slowly accepted by society.

"When we go to the grassroots level, more people understand the issues now," Phally said. "Previously discussing these matters was a cultural taboo. A good woman was not supposed to talk about such things."

According to Phally, women are now becoming more aware of their rights, particularly the younger generation. Of the couples she works with, the majority are between 35 and 55. She believes that among the younger generation, attitudes are changing.

But despite applauding the government recognition of this issue by passing this law, women's rights groups still have concerns about its effectiveness.

"The law imposes an obligation upon the 'authorities in charge' to take action in cases of domestic violence," said Kek Galabru, president of human rights group Licadho. "However, because the law doesn't provide a clear definition of who these 'authorities in charge' are, in practice, nobody takes on the responsibility of enforcing the law."

Lawyer Lam Sokuntheara who has been working on cases of violence against women for the past two years admits that there are problems. She gave the example of the provision of a protection order - known commonly as a restraining order - outlined in Article 25 of the new law. To her knowledge the court has never ruled in favor of the victim in a protection order case. According to Sokuntheara, the problem is lack of law promotion and lack of agreement between the Ministry of Women's Affairs and the Ministry of Interior on the issuing and implementation of the law.

Chou Buneng, director-general of social development at the Ministry of Women's Affairs, denied any disagreement, stating that it takes time for new ideas to become widely accepted and the real results to become apparent.

"We are very happy the law we drafted was adopted," she said. "It may not be perfect, but we now have a basis to work from."

But despite the setbacks, Sokuntheara has still found the law to be invaluable in assisting the women she represents.

"Previously the local authorities didn't pay attention to domestic violence because it was not viewed as an illegal act," she said. "With the new laws it is made clear that it is a legal matter."

She explained that previously in cases of domestic violence, as in the case of Savich, the victim was forced to leave the family home to seek help and shelter. The property would then be left under the control of the perpetrator, so the victim, to escape violence, would lose everything. The new law states that the perpetrator is to be removed from the premises by authorities and property protection laws now mean the victim is no longer left out in the cold.

Oung Chanthol, director of the Cambodian Women's Crisis Center (CWCC), also believes the introduction of the law has yielded many positive results. She cited that CWCC's annual reports for the last two years indicate that domestic violence is decreasing.

"Some women's rights have improved, but others are moving backward," Chanthol said. "The laws against violence against women are positive steps. There is now a legal mechanism to help women. But it's still not at the level we'd like to see. "

The CWCC reported that of the 151 women they worked with last year, 128 submitted complaints against their abusive husbands. But only six pressed criminal charges: the rest filed for divorce only.

"Still, through advocacy, things are changing," she said. "Before, a daughter would complain to her family about spousal abuse and they'd do nothing. They'd say it's 'your problem,'" she said. "But now we're seeing fathers and brothers accompany the victim. These male relatives are taking on the role of protecting family members."

The CWCC, which operates centers in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Banteay Meanchey, provides food, shelter and counseling for women and children affected by abuse. The NGO Our Home Organization, funded by Spanish organization Global Humanitaria, operates four centers to assist the child victims of domestic violence, sexual abuse or neglect. According to Our Home officials, the group helped 4,000 children in 2005.

Licadho also confirmed that children are deeply affected by domestic violence. "Consequences of domestic violence on children include fear, psychological problems, and problems at school," said Galabru. "Children living in a household affected by domestic violence are prone to leave home at a young age. This situation makes them very vulnerable. Young teenagers leaving home might end up in the street where they are easy targets for street gangs, drug dealers and pedophiles."

Violence against women

Since passing the Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and prevention of victims on October 24, 2005, the government has offered "some recognition" of the problem of domestic violence, the NGO Licadho stated in its 2006 report. But it says the law has not been widely enforced and its wording does not specify which authorities are responsible for action.

• Cases of domestic violence reported by Licadho in 2006: 220. Percentage increase from 2005: 24%. From 2000: 193%
• Cases of rape reported in 2006: 86. Percentage increase from 2005: 30%. From 2000: 207%
• Cases reported in the media 2006: 311. Percentage increase from 2005: 9%
• Gang rape cases reported in 2006: 10. Percentage increase from 2005: 25%.
• Human trafficking for sexual exploitation cases reported from 2000 to 2006: 93

- From Licadho report: Violence Against Women in Cambodia 2006

Australia to Give $950,000 to Help Cambodia Curb Violence Against Women in Siem Reap and Battambang

MEDIA RELEASE
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY
TO THE MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS
THE HON GREG HUNT MP

AA 07 012 8 March 2007

Australia to Give $950,000 to Help Cambodia Curb Violence Against Women

To mark International Women's Day Australia will support efforts to reduce violence against women in Cambodia, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Greg Hunt, announced today.

'Australia, through our international aid agency, AusAID, will provide $950,000 for programs to reduce violence against women in two Cambodian provinces, Siem Reap and Battambang,' Mr Hunt said.

Mr Hunt made the announcement at a special United Nations Development Fund for Women breakfast in Melbourne today.

'The Australian Government's gender policy for the aid program, released just last week, recognises the link between domestic violence and the unequal economic and social status of women in many countries, including in the Asia-Pacific region,' he said.

'Guided by the policy, Australia will support efforts to reduce domestic violence, increase women's access to health care and education, and enable greater participation by women in decision-making and representation in public office.

'Eliminating discrimination, including violence against women, is central to the Australian aid program. Every woman has the right to be respected and to live without fear of domestic violence.

'Domestic violence is widespread in Cambodia with the International Women's Development Agency estimating that one-quarter of Cambodian women aged 15 to 49 experience the problem.

'Our funding will enable two Cambodian non-government organisations, Banteay Srei and the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association, to provide greater support services for abused women.

'Research shows that discrimination and violence against women prevent them from exercising their rights and achieving social and economic development and equality, and stunt economic growth and prosperity.

'Violence against women not only takes a heavy toll on women at a personal level but also imposes an economic impost in the form of health care costs, time off paid work and loss of productive work in the home,' Mr Hunt said.

The $950,000 funding will be utilised through the International Women's Development Agency.

Media contacts:
John Deller (Mr Hunt's Office) 0400 496 596
AusAID (Public Affairs) 0417 680 590

The culture of violence against women in Cambodia: the story of Srey Mom

Click here to read the report in English online (Adobe Acrobat Reader required),
right click the link to download a copy of the report

Click here to read the report in Khmer

Excerpt from Violence Against Women in Cambodia 2006
Licadho

My name is Srey Mom, I am 42 years old and my husband beats me. This is my story.

I married my husband Sokly, when I was 19 years old. I was very happy on our wedding day as I imagined my new life with Sokly and the children we would have.

After a year or so, I became pregnant and gave birth to our first child. I was very happy however Sokly decided that he needed to earn more money to raise our child so he went to work in a different province. I’m not sure what kind of work he was doing but he only sent a little money every few months, if we were lucky. My parents and family had to help support my child and I. After a year, Sokly came back home and did not work at all. I had to wash people’s clothes to be able to buy food for us to eat. It was very difficult work.

Abandonment

I gave birth to our second child and this time Sokly left me again -– this time not to work, but to live with his mistress in another province. I was very upset and very sad, I did not know why Sokly would do this to me and I wanted him to come home. My parents advised me that he was still my husband, that I was lucky because I was married and I had two children and that I should not make any problems with Sokly or get angry with him. I was glad that I had listened to my parent’s advice because after four years - Sokly came home. I was so surprised and happy and this time I was determined to be a good wife and to make a good home for Sokly and our two children.

I gave birth to our third child but just like the last time, Sokly left me again to live with his mistress. When he eventually came back, I guessed he had run out of money. By this time I had regular work washing people’s clothes – enough to feed the children and myself but not enough to send the eldest children to school. I was very sad about this.

Physical Violence

I think I changed a bit after Sokly left me for the second time. I grew angry and was not so happy when he came back and I was not willing to forgive him for leaving his family for his mistress. However I was scared that he would leave us again and that I would again have to explain to our children, why their father kept abandoning them. My parents still kept telling me to be happy and that I should not make any problems with Sokly or get angry with him. They said he was the father of our three children and more importantly, he was my husband and that I needed to respect him. But I was angry and I did not want to listen to any more advice. One day I came into the house after washing many clothes. I was very tired and hungry. Sokly was there and he was drunk. I became very angry at him for being drunk, for abandoning, for not working and most of all for using the money I earned to feed our children, to spend on drinking wine! I started yelling at him. Sokly also became very angry and he picked up a bamboo stick and started to beat me. I tried to run away, but I couldn’t. I suffered injuries on my right leg. When people asked me why my leg was bleeding, I lied and said I had fallen down because I was careless. Only my children knew the truth.

After that time, I was scared of Sokly but I decided to try and be a better wife. I decided that it was my fault that he was getting drunk and not working so I put a lot of energy into making Sokly happy. For a time this worked and I became pregnant with our fourth child.

Attempted murder

Then our lives became a living nightmare. Sokly became drunk every day and would argue with me. He would tell me that I was worthless, that I was a bad mother and a bad wife who could not satisfy him and that was why he had to keep leaving me for his mistress. I became more and more scared but I could not tell anyone what was happening. For the sake of my children I kept quiet. One day he got very drunk and I knew he was going to beat me again. He picked up a knife and tried to stab me with it. Our children were screaming and crying, begging him not to hurt me. I kept trying to escape from him. Then to my horror, he picked up an axe and tried to chop me with it. I think because he was drunk his aim was not so good and he kept missing me and I was able to escape with our children. We ran to my parents’ house and I begged them to let us stay with them and to let me divorce Sokly. I told them about his increasing violence and how I was scared he would kill me. My parents let us stay with them for one night but in the morning my parents told me they expected me to return to Sokly and to continue our marriage. They made it very clear that I was not allowed to tell anyone about Sokly’s violence. So we went home.

I became pregnant with our fifth and last child. All through the pregnancy I was very scared, I tried not to be alone with Sokly because I was very worried that he would try to hurt me whilst I was pregnant. Two weeks after I gave birth to the last child, I was inside the house sleeping with the baby. The children were outside somewhere and I was trying to get some rest. I woke up suddenly and smelled smoke. I thought maybe someone was cooking. I picked up the baby and went to the door and started screaming – smoke was everywhere and the house was on fire! I ran outside the house and then I saw that Sokly was outside, looking at me with a strange expression on his face. I learned later, after neighbors had helped us put out the fire – that Sokly had set fire to the house himself – knowing that I was inside it with our baby. I think that he wanted to kill me.

Seeking help

Sokly began to beat me more after the house fire incident, for not cooking his chicken properly, for making mistakes when calculating money for his expenses, for many mistakes he said I made. And the worst thing of all – he started to beat all the children. I think that I could have stayed with him and kept quiet if he was only hurting me, but I could not let him hurt my children. One day he beat our 18 year old daughter very badly – for no reason at all. She was injured and I decided that it was enough! That Sokly should not be allowed to hurt my children or me. I took my daughter and we went to an NGO to tell someone what Sokly had been doing to us.

I had never before reported his violence to any local authorities, after all the times he beat me or the times he tried to kill me. The only people I had ever told were my parents. But on that day I decided that it was time for Sokly to stop hurting us all. It was time for me to be strong for my children and to let Sokly know that what he was doing, what he had been doing for over ten years – was wrong.

I want to divorce Sokly. I don’t want to bring up my children with him, I don’t want to live with him in fear, wondering every day – will he try and beat me today? Or worse – will he try and kill me?

The $1,000 license to rape

Excerpt from Violence Against Women in Cambodia 2006
Licadho

My name is Ly Viden, I am 18 years old. I was raped. This is my story.

I live with my aunty and my sisters in the village. We all work on the land farming and also in the rice fields.

One day, my sisters and I went to guard the cows at the rice fields near our house. We let the cows eat some grass and decided to have a rest whilst they were eating. Two of my sisters went to swim in a nearby pond and my other sister and I sat under a tree, watching the cows and talking to each other.

After half an hour, a man that I had not seen before, came up to me and asked him if I had seen his four cows. I told that him that I had not seen his cows and he should go and check the rice fields for himself. The man stayed and talked to me – he seemed very interested in me.

My two sisters, swimming in the pond, called to us and asked one of us to bring them something. I asked my other sister to go instead of me as I was still talking to the man. We watched my sister walk away and when she had reached the pond the man turned to me and hugged me. I was very shocked as I did not know him but all of a sudden he grabbed me and he dragged me to a nearby canal. I tried to scream for help, but he covered my mouth and he would not let go of me.

I kept trying to escape, but I could not get away from him. I was so scared. I tried to struggle but I couldn’t escape and in the end – the man raped me.

After it was over, the man ran away. I tried to get up and I tried to walk towards my sisters. I think I must have screamed because my sisters came running towards me. They kept asking me ‘what happened? what happened?’ but I could not tell them. I was too ashamed.

Finally they carried me home and I told my aunty what had happened. My aunty was very angry at the man and immediately went to the police station to report what had happened. My sisters made me wash and go to sleep but I could not sleep. I was too scared to be alone so one of my sisters stayed with me.

The next day the police arrested the man and later he was sent to prison. I felt a bit safer knowing that the man could not hurt me anymore and I would not have to see him again. But I still had trouble sleeping and I would not go anywhere by myself.

A few weeks after the man had gone to prison, my aunt received a visit from the local police and a strange man. I did not know why they had come to see her. After they left my aunt explained to me that the police had come with the father of the man who raped me. The father had offered to pay me compensation for his son raping me. However he would only pay me the money if I dropped my complaint against his son.

I was very confused and my aunt told me that it would be better to accept the money as the family was willing to pay lot of money, 4,000,000 riels ($1000 USD). I listened to my aunt and she talked to the police. After that, the man was released from prison and I have not seen him since then. The police came to give me my compensation, and in the end I only received $700 USD. My aunt said that the police had taken the rest of the money as a fee for organizing the payment.

I still feel very sad and angry about what happened. I feel confused about the money I received. On the one hand, it has allowed my sisters to go to school and I have been able to give my aunty some money to help her. But I think that I would feel better if the man who raped me was still in prison, so that I wouldn’t have to be scared anymore.