A quiet-ish revolution

Sareth is deputy village chief in a Cambodian community where the empowerment of women ensures its development stays in the hands of the local people

Tackling the devastating poverty in Prolet village (about an hour’s drive from Cambodia’s popular tourist destination of Siem Reap) requires a radical approach - and that’s what it got, in the shape of local charity, Banteay Srei.

The CAFOD partner is one of the few in Cambodia to focus on women’s empowerment as a catalyst to development. In this deeply traditional village, where patriarchy rules and domestic violence is rife, it is a welcome arrival.

Banteay Srei asks us, the women, what we need to make the life of this community better

Sareth, Prolet deputy village chief

Women as leaders

“Banteay Srei asks us, the women, what we need to make the life of this community better,” says Sareth, who made village history when she became the first woman to be elected deputy village chief.

It all started with a group of women, Sareth included, who got together to make some money. They began by producing baskets using traditional weaving techniques – what seems a fairly unassuming start to a revolution.

But considering these women have lived in the shadows of their husbands, with no way to earn money or make decisions, and basket-making takes on a far deeper significance.

And it doesn’t stop there. From basket-making to credit schemes to a female-led development committee, the women of this village have begun a transformation which is shattering stereotypes and helping to lift the community out of poverty.

To kick-start the transformation of the village, and to ensure that local people control the development process, Banteay Srei has set up community groups.

These include a credit committee which hands out loans for small businesses, a health committee which supplies basic medicines, and a development committee which plans projects such as schools, roads and irrigation systems.

Men can join the committees but – crucially – the majority of leaders must be women. “There’s no point in development projects which operate under existing patriarchal structures,” says Banteay Srei director Chhoeun Thavy.

“We get women involved in decision-making to stamp out social stereotypes.”

Committee members receive training in subjects such as literacy, women’s leadership, and bookkeeping. For many women, it is their first chance to take part in formal learning.

Sareth says that it is as if a light has been switched on in her head. “I feel excited and full of ideas,” she says with a smile.

A profound change is happening in Prolet as a result. Thanks to the credit scheme, many people have been able to start small businesses which generate a regular income.

Perhaps most significantly, there has been a perceptible shift in gender roles. En masse, women have begun to earn money and assert their rights, and anecdotal evidence suggests domestic violence is falling.

As deputy chief, Sareth is also on the first step of Cambodia’s complex and hierarchical political ladder. She says proudly: “I am helping to create a future for this community.

“When Banteay Srei staff first came to this village I was so scared I hid behind a banana bush for hours. We don’t see many strangers and I thought they were going to hurt me.

“Now I speak in front of the whole village. I have found my voice.”