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PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA - The Cambodian Government today launched a Khmer version of its policy to mainstream gender in the agriculture sector, a move that is being hailed a significant step forward in enhancing equality in the country.
Launching the policy was Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Chan Sarun at the Annual Conference on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, chaired by Prime Minister Hun Sen. An English version of the policy is due for release soon.
Around 600 participants gathered for the three-day conference, including governors of all 24 provinces and municipalities, senior officials of ministry and provincial agriculture departments, and representatives from embassies, donors, and international and national organizations.
The policy, supported by an ADB technical assistance grant and related to a loan for the Agriculture Sector Development Program, is the first of its kind in Cambodia.
"It was formulated by a Gender Working Group using a bottom-up process," says Yuriko Uehara, an ADB Senior Social Development Specialist. "It is a pioneering achievement that maps out an unambiguous plan of action to ensure that gender is mainstreamed in the sector."
Some 85% of Cambodia's population lives in rural communities and more than 60% depends on agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. Women make a significant contribution in this sector, accounting for more than half of the primary workforce in subsistence agriculture as well as in marketed-oriented agriculture.
Most of these women are unpaid family workers who face multiple constraints that limit their inherent potential to fully contribute and benefit from agricultural development.
The policy was developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, in close cooperation with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and after extensive consultations with stakeholders at national and provincial levels.
It provides principles and goals to guide how gender mainstreaming will take place in the sector. Indicators to monitor progress are clearly set out.
In the Ministry, untapped human resources, both among women and male staff, will be encouraged to champion gender equality.
"More effort will be required to provide the kind of environment where women staff can show their worth and be valued as equal partners with their male colleagues," Ms. Uehara adds. "The policy is a first step in this direction not only for women but also men to join forces toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals in general and the agriculture targets in particular."