29th Meeting of the Technical Working Group on Gender- Gender Based Violence (TWGG-GBV): Acknowledging Key Achievements and Effective Support

On 30 May 2023, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA), with technical support from UN Women, organised the 29th meeting of the Technical Working Group on Gender-Gender-Based Violence (TWGG-GBV). The meeting was held with the support of the Australian Government through the Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) Program.

The TWGG-GBV holds quarterly meetings, convening more than 100 relevant ministries and institutions, civil society organisations, and development partners to deliberate and collaborate. The objective of this meeting was to evaluate the outcomes of the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women 2018-2023 (NAPVAW III), share achievements, lessons learned, challenges and recommendations. Additionally, it aimed at reflect on the roles and responsibilities of TWGG-GBV members in the implementation of their Annual Operation Plan (AoP).

Her Excellency Hou Samith, Secretary of State at MoWA and Chairwoman of TWGG-GBV, delivered opening remarks during the meeting, commending the key achievements of the NAPVAW implementation. She emphasized the importance of cooperation and coordination at all levels, national and sub-national, among ministries, development partners, civil society, media, religious organizations, and individuals. Clear accountability and responsibility from each stakeholder are crucial to effectively respond to violence against women.

“I extend my gratitude to all implementors who have cooperated with MoWA in the past, and I urge us to strengthen and enhance this collaboration to promote gender equality and prevent and respond to GBV by intervening jointly and providing timely protection to survivors,” added Her Excellency.

Ms Sarah Knibbs, Regional Director a.i., UN Women Asia and the Pacific, congratulated MoWA for their leadership and collaborative efforts in successfully completing the final evaluation of NAPVAW III. The evaluation highlighted the significant accomplishments of TWGG-GBV, frontline service providers, and relevant stakeholders in contributing to the implementation of NAPVAW III despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. These efforts have contributed to positive trends reflected in the CDHS 2021–2022, including a reduction in the prevalence of violence against women and a decrease in acceptance violence by intimate partners.

Mr Connor Floyd, Second Secretary of the Australian Embassy to Cambodia, was present at the meeting. He noted that he was pleased to witness the TWGG-GBV continuing to serve as an essential platform for exchanging experiences, lessons learned, and further developing evidence and technical

knowledge to implement NAPVAW III. “Australia has been privileged to collaborate closely with MoWA for more than a decade, in order to suitably advance the rights of women. During this time, we have witnessed the commendable commitment as well as the sheer professionalism of MoWA’s team in delivering life-changing strategies and policies that have positively transformed the lives of women in Cambodia,” added Mr Floyd.

During the past four years, in close partnership with MoWA and through funding from the Australian Government via the ACCESS Program, significant achievements have been made towards the implementation of NAPVAW III. These achievements include:

• the establishment and implementation of GBV response working groups across six provinces and 40 districts;
• training on essential service standards for more than 14,000 frontline service providers, benefiting more than 1,600 survivors including children and women with disabilities, who received services from state and non-state service providers;
• development and successful piloting of a GBV monitoring quality checklist in six provinces;
• establishment of 22 sites of GBV counselling rooms and piloting their use in five targeted provinces;
• successful development and broadcasting of five videos on providing GBV services to survivors based on Essential Services Guidelines and Standards; and
• the development and pilot of a digital GBV data collection and case management system.