Grant to Support Women's Development in Cambodia

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - A US$1.8 million grant from ADB's Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction (JFPR), financed by the Government of Japan, will pilot a project in Cambodia that aims to empower women socially and economically.

Despite their active involvement in economic and income-generating activities, women in Cambodia face a limited range of choices as cultural values segregate them into certain occupations. They are mostly involved in the informal sector and in low-productivity agriculture, and scarcely in the wage-earning formal sector.

"For women to participate in the formal sector and benefit from the increased importance and attention being paid to micro- and small enterprises, they must develop a market orientation in their economic and income-generating choices. They must be able to access capital and legal resources," says Januar Hakim, an ADB Urban Development Specialist.

The project will establish Women's Development Centers (WDC), which are envisioned to be one-stop woman-friendly facilities that provide support beyond traditional skills training. A new WDC building facility will be developed at Siem Reap, while an existing Women in Development center at Kampong Chhnang will be upgraded into a WDC facility.

In the WDCs, in addition to entrepreneurial skills training, life skills and advocacy support, such as good sanitation and hygiene awareness and daycare facilities, will be provided. This will instill in poor women confidence and dignity, and improve their ability to meet their needs at home, at work, and in their community.

A business resources and information center will also be established in the WDCs to serve as a business startup referral service. Support, such as business incubator units and equipment and assistance in product development and business licensing, will be provided. These activities will be supported by capacity improvements among key Government and WDC staff.

About 3,000 women are expected to directly benefit from the project, which will translate to about 12,000 household members benefiting from women's improved skills and income.

The Government and members of the civil society will contribute $400,000 equivalent toward the project's total cost of $2.2 million. The Ministry of Women's Affairs is the executing agency for the project, which will be carried out over four years.

The JFPR was set up in 2000 with an initial contribution of Y10 billion (about $90 million). The Fund now stands at over $344 million.

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