The Health Program of AFESIP Cambodia, this year celebrated its 102nd International Women’s Day on 1 March 2013 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It invited 150 entertainment women out of more than 4,000 entertainment women around Phnom Penh municipality where we work with.
Presided over at the ceremony are: Somaly Mam, Founder and President of AFESIP Cambodia and the Somaly Mam Foundation, Ms. Prom Sakhan, Deputy Director of Anti-Human Trafficking and Victims Reintegration Department of the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation, Ms. Ros Phina, official from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. Present at the event as honorable guests were representatives from non-governmental organization partners, such as ECPAT, White Lotus, Hope, CWDA, ADRA and Maryknol. Also attended were Mr. Sao Chhoeurth, AFESIP Cambodia’s Executive Director & CEO, other AFESIP and SMF management, AFESIP Social Workers, Peer Educators and Team of Voices for Change.
To begin with, the meeting allowed any of the entertainment women to talk their problems as here there was the presence of government institutions and local non-governmental organizations to help solve the problems. The entertainment women participants told the audience about their daily hard business with clients, their difficulties in bringing up their families and especially how to generate better income in order to better their life.
Somaly held a very friendly talk with all the entertainment women like her own siblings without prepared speech. She explained why this day is commemorated and rights of the Cambodian women to be exercised as well as those in the world. Not only March 8, the rights day for the women, but every day, every month and every year. She encouraged them to take care of their own health, as AFESIP clinic is always at their service with free consultation, free medicine and transportation to and fro. She motivated them to struggle and empower themselves. She stressed : “Stand on your own feet, be strong. There are many women around the world becoming country leaders, some of them even stronger than men.”
In her turn, Ms. Prom Sakhan, Deputy Director of the Anti-human Trafficking and Victims Reintegration Department said: “ Under this year’s topic ‘equal right, equal opportunity to speed up Development which very important aimed at gaining support from the mass, public institutions, private sector, civil society and other partners in order to speed up development toward millennium goal as well as the government 2009-2013 strategic plan of action, the 3rd Neary Ratanak for gender equity and to empower the women ” This event was to raise public awareness on all form of domestic violence on women. At last she praised AFESIP Cambodia for its all-out effort to help out the victims of human trafficking to change their life by providing education and vocational skills training and other essential services.
This year, Health Program produced a number of T-shirts and distributed to all the participants with its educational slogan at the back read : “ Equal right, equal Opportunity to Speed up Development ’’. At the end of the event, there is fun session for the target groups for lucky draw. Everybody is satisfied with it as the gift is better than last year.
