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COVID-19 is placing enormous strain on families and communities. During these unprecedented times, suitably available psychological support is needed more than ever. Through clever use of on-line communication channels, the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation (TPO) fulfils a vital community service, by providing remote access to psychological and phone counselling services to women and girls as well as online coaching to local service providers. Women and girls that are experiencing emotional distress can contact the following 3 hotline numbers: 017 222 372, [...]

9.5% of Cambodia’s population aged five years and older experience some form of disability. Persons with disabilities are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19. Some are unable to uphold physical distancing rules because they require support and care, while others find it challenging to regularly practise hygiene measures to protect against the virus. Persons with disabilities need to be included in all forms of COVID-19 prevention and response measures. That is why the Australian Government is working with Cambodian policy [...]

Through our Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) program the Australian Government is supporting a range of government and non-government organisations that are seeking to ensure Cambodian survivors of gender-based violence can access relevant legal and support services. A key focus of this program is ensuring that these services are properly funded and can be delivered sustainably. (more…)

On June 9 2020, the Australian Embassy celebrated #IWD2020 with a focus on empowering women with disabilities. Women and girls with disabilities experience double discrimination, which places them at higher risk of gender-based violence, neglect, maltreatment and exploitation. We were delighted to host Agile Development Group and Light for the World at the Embassy, to present their approaches to empowering women with disabilities, as supported through the Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) program. (more…)

IWD is about reflecting on the state of women’s rights today – celebrating how far we’ve come, but also recognising the continuing barriers to equality. Across the world, one key barrier is gender-based violence. Today, we are shining a light on the work of Mrs. Chap Chanthida, Deputy Director of the Kampong Cham Referral Hospital, who provides health services to women affected by gender-based violence through the Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) program. (more…)

Globally, one in three women experience either physical or sexual abuse, often perpetrated by someone they know. In Cambodia, one in five women have reported experiencing intimate partner violence. On February 26, the Embassy was proud to join the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and a group of high-level officials from six provinces who came together in Phnom Penh for training on Minimum Standards for Basic Counseling for Women and Girls Survivors of Gender Based Violence. Participants left with practical tools [...]

This week Australian Ambassador, Pablo Kang, visited Siem Reap to view an Australian aid program in action. While in Siem Reap, the Ambassador visited a range of activities currently implemented under the Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) program. This included observing gender-based violence counselling training and visiting a shelter for gender-based violence survivors. Ambassador Kang also met with the Disabled People’s Organisation to hear about the work ACCESS is doing on disability inclusion.  (more…)

ACCESS is proud to announce the establishment of thirteen partnerships with UN, civil society and private sector organisations to work on improving the lives of persons with disabilities and women affected by gender-based violence. Partners were selected through a competitive selection process overseen by the ACCESS Competitive Investment Mechanism Panel. Of the thirteen partners selected, seven partners will collaborate with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to ensure that women affected by gender-based violence can access quality services to fulfil their [...]

To mark National and International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we are proud to share the story of Ms. Nguon Sophak Kanika. Despite the many challenges of being a woman and a person with disability, Kanika holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work and is currently a lecturer at the Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP). Access to education has not always been easy for her, “my classmates looked at me as a stranger because of my disability”. However, her [...]

One in five Cambodian women aged 15-64 have reported experiencing physical or sexual violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Women with disabilities experience much higher levels of all forms of violence. The Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) is supporting role models like Ngin Sarin, Judicial Police Officer from the Siem Reap Provincial Department of Women’s Affairs, who are dedicating their lives to supporting access to justice for survivors of gender-based violence. “I am really happy to support [...]