Meet service providers on Gender-Based Violence in Siem Reap Province
From September 2019 to June 2021, with support from the Australian Government through the DFAT-funded Australia-Cambodia Cooperation for Equitable Sustainable Services (ACCESS) Program, Legal Aid of Cambodia (LAC) in collaboration with the Department of Women’s Affairs (PDoWA), launched the project, “Access to Justice for Women Affected by Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Siem Reap”.
This project is implementing an array of activities including the provision of counseling and free-of-charge legal services to women and girls who are survivors of GBV; alternative dispute resolution and family dispute resolution in coordination with the PDoWA and local authorities; the dissemination of information and raising awareness on legal services and law procedures via radio/television; capacity building of a GBV Response Working Group on essential services package in Sout Nikum and Angkor Chum and district-level Training of Trainer for 12 districts/cities in Siem Reap province.
Mrs. Tuy Loam, Deputy District Governor of Sot Nikum was invited to join the trainings with LAC. She said: “After I joined the trainings, I received additional knowledge and experience about laws related to women and girls and sexual violence against women and girls.” She also shared the knowledge with her colleagues and community and used this knowledge through provided counselling to survivors and their families, as well as assisted them to access additional legal services to receive justice and help them in a timely manner.
Mrs. Tuy Loam appreciated the support from DFAT through the ACCESS Program to support services to women and girls and through providing training to local authorities.
Mrs. OU Chanthavy, Sot Nikum Chief of District Council for Women and Children, who was also present provided that since she received the training on Laws and Minimum Standards of Basic Counselling from LAC and PDoWA, she was proud and confirmed that she shared this knowledge with her colleagues as well. Moreover, one of her main takeaways was that services needed to be improved, such as counselling for survivors, in order to ensure they are implemented properly and in a standardized manner.
Ms. Vann Saroeun, Deputy Chief of Social Affairs and Welfare office, Sot Nikum District said that the trainers used strategies to disseminate the information in a way that could be easily understood by participants. After she joined the trainings, she felt more confident and gained knowledge to support counselling and legal services to women and girls who were survivors of GBV. She provided, “I hope this project will continue to support people in my district and other districts in Siem Reap in order to help survivors and vulnerable women to receive effective services and justice.”
With support from the Australian Government, the ACCESS Program is working in partnership with the Royal Government of Cambodia and Implementing Partners to provide sustainable services to women affected by GBV and persons with disabilities.
