Empowering Cambodian Women Entrepreneurs to Succeed

The Cambodia Women’s Entrepreneur Association (CWEA) is a not-for-profit professional
association with its mission to encourage and support women entrepreneurs in Cambodia through
collective efforts, business services, networking and building on a single voice to relevant
stakeholders on issues of common interest. It has been in operation for the past couple of years
and at the helm of the Association is President Mrs. Seng Takakneary.
The only association of its kind developed by women for women; its vision is to help Cambodian
women entrepreneurs to start, grow and sustain themselves in business, and succeed in their
respectful industry. They hope to empower women to meaningfully impact the economic
development of Cambodia.
CWEA provides a platform for Cambodian and foreign women entrepreneurs to have a voice in
the business sector and to bring this to the attention of the government. Takaneary states that this
is achieved by gathering business members of each sector to discuss what kinds of critical issues
they are having. Then these issues are taken to regular meetings with the Ministry of Women's
Affairs, of which Takaneary sits on a working group.
"CWEA is willing to help other business women, through being role models to show them that
having more confidence is okay. CWEA accepts them and raise issues for them".
CWEA provides a mentorship program to its 200 plus members from both Cambodia and abroad,
selecting 10 very successful businesswomen each year to team up with women starting up
businesses or running micro businesses. "The mentor completes a SWAT analysis and report
advising recommendations for improvement and growth to the mentee", Takakneary explains.
They then offer consultancy support as required.
Takaneary plans to build a strong secretariat of CWEA so that association's member issues can be
promoted to the national level. She aims to sustain and serve members in each industry by
appointing one representative head of each sector reaching far into the grass roots level, penetrating
women at the provincial level.
Through advocacy and lobbying activities, CWEA's main priority is to bring the voice of women
entrepreneurs to the government, media and stakeholders. Training and capacity building is
another goal used by the association to generate empowerment as is business networking
opportunities provided through regular networking events.
CWEA promotes members' goods and services through various marketing activities such as trade
missions to the United States and participating in a trade exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany. “These
allow for our members to show their products especially in the silk sector and promote Khmer
identification, thus preserving our culture", Takakneary adds.

Written by Kimleang

The Leading Woman

Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association (CWEA)’s mission is to encourage and support the growth
of women‐owned businesses in Cambodia through collective efforts, providing business services,
networking and building a single voice to relevant stakeholders on issues of common interest.
Its particular interests are: the establishment and maintenance of a business friendly environment and
supporting the competitiveness of women‐owned businesses in Cambodia.
Their Objectives
(a) To represent, express and advance the opinions of CWEA members on matters of common interest
through well researched and argued policy positions.
(b) To liaise with and promote on‐going dialogue and cooperation with the key domestic and
international public and private institutions and other organizations to facilitate business in Cambodia
and the sustainable development of SMEs.
(c) To provide business‐related services for members in order to support the competitiveness and
growth of their businesses: information services, training programs, promotion of products and services.
(d) To provide networking opportunities for members, sharing of information, meetings with
stakeholders and managing industry‐specific awards.
(e) To advance knowledge on women entrepreneurs in Cambodia and develop credible policies and
responses to key issues affecting its members.
(f) To elaborate communication strategies and promotional activities in partnership with all stakeholders
to promote the role of women in business as well as to promote products and services of members.
(g) Promoting a spirit of “Entrepreneurship” among Cambodia’s Women Business Community.

By Kimleang

Number of Women in Politics in Cambodia

Finding out why women’s voices are not being listened to is imperative to increasing the proportion of female political representation in Cambodia.

The Committee to Promote Women in Politics (CPWP) – which is made up of 12 organisations – hosted discussions in the capital that included discussion about the importance of having a legislative population that is at least 25 per cent female, one of Cambodia’s Millenium Goals. In the National Assembly women claimed just over 20 per cent of the 123 National Assembly seats in July’s national election comparison with men in the Senate, women hold 8 of the 61 seats, representing only 13 percent. Timor Leste boasts 29.2 percent women in the Assembly while Lao has 25.2 percent in the Senate.

The percentage of Cambodian women in Parliament is low in comparison to that in other countries, such as Timor Leste, Lao PDR and Viet Nam. To reach the participation levels that experts believe will lead to achieving the MDGs will require 30 percent women’s representation in national legislatures by 2015.

Twenty-one percent of National Assembly members are women. The Senate has created a Women’s Department and a new high-level position of Senior Women and Gender Advisor to the President of the Senate. Thirty percent of the Senate Secretariat General staff is women. Programmes are already in place to ensure that at least one of the three members of every village commission is a woman. National policy states that every Provincial Deputy Governor should be a woman. Policies are also in place specifying that 30 percent of the civil service staff should be women.

Adding women to the positions of secretaries of state and under-secretaries of state Labour Ministry in the fourth and fifth mandate was a step in the right direction, said a report by election watchdog the Committee for Free and Fair Elections but women in positions of power typically hold only deputy positions giving them less power.

Poverty has a woman’s face. Economic inequality underlies many of the challenges to achieving MDG3. “Globally, 6 of every 10 of the world’s poorest people are women and girls. In Cambodia, economic opportunities for women are still constrained, with most credit, training extension and support programs not sufficiently tailored to their needs.

Seeing similar improvement, Deputy Prime Minister Ms. Men Sam An said that the Cambodian government had made progress in education, providing scholarships for women in higher education, building more educational institutions and accommodations, and increasing employment opportunities for women. In the health sector, progress has been made in making health care available, providing nutritional assistance, and preventing HIV and other infectious diseases.

“From mandate to mandate, there is a change and advancement for women at every level.”

Written by Kimleang