The Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFAIC) of the Kingdom of Cambodia H.E. Chum Sounry wrote a letter of the clarification to The Diplomat on its article entitled “Why Cambodia Needs to Incorporate More Women Into Its Foreign Policy Process”.

In his letter addressed to Mr. Sebastian Strangio, Southeast Asia Editor of The Diplomat, H.E. Chun Sounry, pointed out that this article published in The Diplomat on February 15, 2024 has attracted attention of the leaders and staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, not only the women but the men also, including himself.

While sharing some points raised by the author in this article. He wrote to offer the positive side of the story backed by facts in order to shed light on women’s increasing participation in the country’s foreign affairs and development process.

The previous and current leadership of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation have clearly shown a great atte
ntion and a strong commitment to promoting gender equality and participation of women in the leadership and all levels of senior staff of the Ministry as well as the Diplomatic Missions abroad.

The fact that Cambodia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sok Chenda Sophea, Minister of MFAIC, was the first person who shared this article within the Ministry with a comment “I didn’t wait for the article to try to attract recruit women for the Ministry” proved this confirmation.

Currently, the Ministry has a total full time 525 diplomats, among which female diplomats are 170 that can be translated roughly 32 per cent. Of this 170 female diplomats, some of them are well trained, having comprehensive knowledge on world affairs which suit them in the diplomatic career and they are in the process of succession and in the near future, they will play an active role and take leadership in this institution.

Among more than 200 Cambodian diplomats posting in various countries, 65 of them are females which represent almost 30% of Cam
bodian diplomats posting overseas. While the overall percentage of women in leadership positions has not been at an impressive level, it’s important to recognize the impact that individual women with strong qualifications and merit are already making. They are breaking glass ceilings, challenging stereotypes, and influencing policy decisions.

Female diplomats have been assigned to important posts such as Permanent Representative of Cambodia to the United Nations in New York, Permanent Representative of Cambodia to UNESCO in Paris, Ambassador of Cambodia to the People’s Republic of China, Ambassador of Cambodia to the Republic of Korea, Ambassador of Cambodia to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, newly appointed Ambassador of Cambodia to the United Kingdom, and more women diplomats will be assigned to the higher positions at Cambodia’s embassies and consulates-general gradually. These appointments highlight the achievements and leadership of specific merit-based and qualified women in Cambodian foreign policy
that can inspire others and provide role models for future generations.

Furthermore, focusing solely on the numerical representation of women in Cambodian foreign policy doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s crucial to acknowledge the merit and qualifications of women already present in the field who are contributing significantly. Moving beyond simply counting women, emphasize the diverse skills and expertise they bring to the table. This could include strong language skills, cultural understanding, negotiation expertise, or knowledge of specific regional issues. Recognizing these valuable contributions ensures their voices are heard and valued.

It’s important to remember that achieving strong women’s representation in Cambodian foreign policy requires a multifaceted approach. While increasing the numbers is essential, ensuring merit-based selection, recognizing the achievements of existing qualified women, and tackling underlying biases are equally important for creating a truly inclusive and effective diplo
matic corps.

As far as the government’s policy is concerned, the previous and current governments have put a great political will and attached a great importance to promoting gender equality and participation of women in all sectors aimed at achieving economically, socially and politically inclusive and sustainable development.

The previous Cambodian government’s commitment to uplifting women’s status and empowering them to engage in the high-level leadership was echoed in its policies, including the Rectangle Strategy, Neary Rattanak, and the Cambodian National Council for Women Plan, National Strategic Development Plans (NSDP), each of which includes the prerequisite of gender mainstreaming across all levels of governments. Samdech Akka Moha Sena PadeiTecho HUN Sen, Former Prime Minister, underlined many times: “We continue to pay attention and promote women to participate at a higher level of leadership.”

The current Prime Minister of Cambodia, Samdech Moha Borvor Thipadei Hun Manet, in his address at t
he opening of the 7th Friends of Asia Pacific WAGGGS (World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts) Conference in Siem Reap on November 05, 2023, underlined that in response to the lack of opportunities for women to develop, the Cambodian government has made gender equality and empowerment of women and girls in all areas a priority in its policy agenda, reported Khmer Times in an article “PM wants women to play bigger role in government leadership” on 6 November 2023.

“By launching the Pentagonal Strategy – Phase I, Cambodia will strengthen its citizenship in a highly civilised society with morality, equity and an environment in which women are the core.

“We will also increase access to education and vocational training for female students by increasing scholarships and refresher programmes at schools, providing accommodation, ensuring safety and increasing the number of female teachers, as well as increasing the number of female teachers.

“Increasing the proportion of women’s participation in national
institutions at all levels, strengthening employment opportunities, protecting women’s labor rights, and continuing to promote women’s role in decision-making at all levels,” stated Samdech Prime Minister.

In fact, Cambodia has in the current public and political spheres: A woman as the President of the National Assembly, 17 women as members of the National Assembly and two as the chairpersons of the expert committees, a female Governor of the National Bank, a female National Auditor-General, three women Ministers, 42 percent female civil servants and 27 percent in decision-making roles, two female provincial governors, six women district/khan governors, 176 female commune chiefs (increased from 130).

Another fact, since 2006, Cambodia has deployed a total of 9,465 peacekeepers, 801 of them women to partake in the UN’s humanitarian, demining and peacekeeping operations in 10 countries. The proportion has ranked Cambodia 2nd among ASEAN and 13th among 122 countries for women’s participation in the UN’s missi
ons.

Source: Agence Kampuchea Presse