Campaign

Updates from the Campaign Trail

As in the majority of countries around the world, women in Cambodia, have historically been largely absent from the political decision-making process. Today, Cambodia still holds a strong culture of disregard towards women’s qualifications and crucial need for socio-political education. As MP for the leading opposition party, the Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), Mu Sochua has worked tirelessly to put women at the forefront of Cambodian society and politics.

In her consistuency, Battambang Province, Mu Sochua is working to strengthen women’s networks in general and most particularly, the SRP’s Women’s Wing.  With the support of the whole party and her team, she is working forcefully in preparation for the next local election (2012), with resources being mobilized to select local women to be trained for the next 2 years and to run for seats in the local commune councils. Further, MP Mu Sochua works within the SRP as well as with civil society to push women on the political agenda. In Battambang, she has the support of a local NGO, Amara, which focuses on the political training of all women. In total, the SRP aims to sponsor 1,500 women candidates. The selection of these outstanding future candidates takes Mu Sochua and her team of women to remote villages in all corners of the Province, the country’s largest one.

We will be posting the latest news on Sochua’s work in the province. Follow along as she continues her work to promote women in politics throughout Battambang:

June 4th – 11th: Political Campaigning Building-up Women and Youth Networks in Battambang Province

 

The majority of Cambodian people are still today facing an array of daily obstacles and challenges.  Economic, social, and justice issues affect Cambodians all over the country; these include problems of land grabbing, unemployment, lack of social safety nets (including healthcare and pensions), gender violence and lack of government and political support for these issues. And for all of these, women are especially and deeply impacted. However, despite this long-standing reality, the needs of women everywhere in Cambodia remain largely unnoticed and unvoiced.

Recognizing the need to confront these issues, the SRP has continued to address the problems of men, women and children. Within the party, Mu Sochua remains vigilant and dedicated as ever to this cause. Recently, she has taken up the role of Battambang’s provincial leader for the party. Regardless of her recent court hearing on 2^nd June, which has the potential threat of imprisonment, Mu Sochua was back on the campaign trail the next day.

Mu Sochua continued to reach out to local communities at the district and commune levels working alongside Commune chiefs and against daily intimidation tactics by the CPP. While the size, location, and time of the locations varied greatly, Sochua delivered the same persistent message: the need and potential for a more just and humane democratic society.

Along the way, Mu Sochua had a growing number of followers to both her and the cause. The SRP following galvanized largely thanks to the meetings and activities her and her team carried out, including to create and sustain the Youth and Women’s Wings which this month took a crucial institutional turn, and which indeed will be essential to carry out the SRP’s key vision.