A group of sixteen women union leaders from nine IndustriALL Cambodian affiliates gathered in Phnom Penh to review the current state of women workers' rights in the country.
Despite the women's committee's inactivity during the pandemic, the union didn't stop defending women workers' rights. Many new committees were formed within factory-level unions.
Women leaders have been active in pushing for the adoption of international labour standards, like ILO Convention 183 on Maternity Protection and Convention 190 on Violence and Harassment. They have also been involved in events for March 8, International Women’s’ Day, and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
During their meeting, the women’s committee updated their operating guidelines to allow more members to participate in their quarterly meetings. They plan to offer training and leadership development for women unionists and to use social media and video platforms to connect with more women workers.
They look forward to participating in international exchange programs organized by IndustriALL to learn more about Convention 190 and how to combat gender-based violence.
Nim Phalla, chair of the Cambodia Labour Union Federation (CLUF) Women Committee, shared :
“Restructuring the women's committee makes me delighted. Many efforts that directly improve women's benefits have been implemented since 2017. We hope to do so after we have a strong women's committee in Cambodia soon. We need to take action together.”
Ramon Certeza, IndustriALL's regional secretary for Southeast Asia, underscored the critical role of women and young women workers in strengthening their voices within the union and in decision-making processes.