Gender and Development

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Cambodia

Women with Disabilities - Cambodian Disabled People's Organisation

Project Objectives

The overall objective of the project was to address the needs of women living with disabilities by developing networks of support for them and assisting them to benefit from available technical and training resources. It was also anticipated that the priorities, roles, and participation of women with disabilities in both community activities and in the Cambodian Disabled People's Organisation (CDPO) would be strengthened as a result.

The specific objectives of the project were the following:

• to develop networks of women with disabilities to protect, serve, and promote their rights, achievements, and interests in order to bring about their fuller participation and equality in society
• to further the rights and interests of women with disabilities by establishing or strengthening self-help groups in which they can raise and address relevant social and economic issues
• to strengthen the voices of women with disabilities, raise public awareness about their interests and concerns, and identify their skills in order to address their needs

To develop networks, the CDPO's Active Women's Group conducted monthly meetings with representatives of national and international organizations, including the national nongovernment organization (NGO) Forum, and four to six weekly meetings with the Disability Action Council.

Two workshops and a number of training programs for CPDO staff and members facilitated the development of self-help groups and of self-awareness of shared issues. A workshop titled "Women with Disabilities Awareness" was organized in conjunction with the Disability Action Council and drew 24 participants representing a number of affiliated organizations and ministries including a number of organizations in rural areas. Feedback on this workshop showed that participants enjoyed the opportunity to share information and deepen their understanding of issues contributing to the lack of self-confidence and poor living standards of disabled women. A two-day training workshop on disability and society was organized by CDPO for 25 invited participants including a number of representatives of rural organizations. As a result of this workshop, participants

1. shared information about their situations
2. analyzed some of the factors behind discrimination against disabled people
3. gained confidence to establish self-help groups in the provinces

Finally, the project team recognized the need to raise both the voices of women with disabilities and public awareness in order to dispel myths and stereotypes. A public awareness campaign was conducted over the 6 months of the project which included radio interviews with disabled women and articles in newspapers and journals.

Outcomes of Project

This project resulted in a number of positive outcomes for both women with disabilities and for CDPO. Through meetings with the Women's Active Group, disabled women have gained self-confidence in solving the problems they face. There are also now more avenues for disabled women and girls to pursue work and education following training and information sessions with parents and community groups. For example, following discussions with staff from the Women's Active Group, more families are willing to allow their disabled daughters to take up work and school opportunities outside the home.

The Women's Active Group has also been recognized by the Ministry of Women's and Veterans' Affairs and has been invited to participate in relevant seminars, such as those on gender and development, and major events including the 2001 International Women's Day march in which 120 women with disabilities participated. Further evidence of strengthened advocacy can be seen in the following examples.

• The Ministry of Education has begun to understand the need for disability awareness and to accept children with disabilities in schools
• The Women's Active Group was asked to contribute to the Convention to End all Forms of Discrimination Against Women's report on the Beijing+5 Meeting where it was noted that the needs of women with disabilities had been overlooked. Their concerns were subsequently included
• The Women's Active Group participated in a 16-day Committee on Domestic Violence, and one member of the group was invited to attend the follow-up workshop in Phnom Penh

The general public's understanding of issues related to women with disabilities has also been enhanced by radio programs and other awareness-raising activities conducted during the project. For example, the Women's Media Centre of Cambodia used stories of women with disabilities prepared by CDPO in their bulletin and radio program on station FM 102, and two disabled women were interviewed about the issues they faced on station FM 103.

CDPO has also strengthened its organizational capacity and understanding of relevant issues of disabled women. Also, significant skills have been developed within the Women's Active Group. The core staff has learned how to establish self-help groups as a means for providing social and economic support to women with disabilities. They have gained specific skills such as managing, planning, and facilitating projects and organizing workshops. One staff member attended the International Accessibility Campaign in Bangkok that attracted over 600 delegates from Asia and the Pacific. This gave her the opportunity to meet women from different countries and share strategies on how to achieve recognition from their respective governments and greater public awareness of the issues confronting disabled women.

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