Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister H.E. Prak Sokhonn has reiterated Cambodia’s commitment to promote women’s roles in sustainable development and peace building process.
“I reaffirm Cambodia’s continued determination to increase its women recruits, create conducive environment for women to realise their full potentials and expand their participation in sustainable development and peace building process around the world,” underlined H.E. Prak Sokhonn at the Opening Session of the International Conference on “Strengthening Women’s Role in Building and Sustaining Peace: from Commitments to Results”, held yesterday via Videoconference.
From its tragic past, Cambodia has witnessed the might and resilience of women in rebuilding the society and engendering a peaceful and secure environment that is vital for economic and social development, said H.E. Prak Sokhonn, also Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“Gender equality is one of the core values upheld by our Government and mainstreamed in all our national development policies and strategies at all levels. With our Government’s efforts, women now represent 41 percent of our civil service workforce in 2020 and a growing number are now engaged in leadership and decision-making positions. They enjoy better social protection and support through the promotion of access to healthcare, legal advocacy and justice against violence, human trafficking and sexual exploitation and economic resources such as through the expansion of credit for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) of which 61 percent go to women,” he pointed out.
In addition, he continued, engaging women in peacekeeping is another facet of Cambodia’s commitment to promoting women’s empowerment through their enhanced role in building a peaceful world.
According to the Cambodian top diplomat, since 2006, Cambodia has deployed 419 women out of the total 7,123 peacekeepers to UN Peacekeeping Missions in nine countries. This year, 92 women are on mission among the 781 troops deployed in five countries. Cambodia now ranks number 2 in ASEAN, just behind Indonesia, and number 17 in the world for its share of female troop contribution to the U.N. PKO.