Cambodia: Orange Day in the Community
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Author: Mariken Harbitz
“Let us not accept that it is in the nature of anyone to injure another person” said Wenny Kusuma, Country Representative of UN Women Cambodia during the launch of Orange Day in Cambodian communities. On 25 October, police, village chiefs, students, and tuk-tuk drivers all raised their hands to take action against violence against women.
On the 25th of every month, the UNiTE Orange Day campaign aims to intensify action to end violence against women and girls. While the campaign has been previously organized in Cambodia, the launch was the first Orange Day directly targeted at rural communities, with the aim of taking the campaign to public places and engaging with local actors who can have a direct impact on the lives of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Ratanak Ou, a member of the UNiTE campaign explained: “Violence against women happens everywhere and every day in Cambodia; we need to use this day to show our commitment to stop this”. Ratanak emphasized that commitment can be seen in small actions: for example, by organizing meetings in communities or posting photos that reflect efforts to end violence against women and girls.
The event was hosted by CARE International and the youth-led organization People, Health and Development (PHD), which has been organizing Orange Day in schools and universities in Phnom Penh since 2013. Joanne Fairley, CARE Country Director in Cambodia said: “CARE International aims that by 2020, over 100 million women and girls will exercise their right to sexual, reproductive and maternal health and a life free from violence.”
The UNiTE campaign has, together with the PHD over the last months, cooperated with tuk-tuk drivers in Phnom Penh. Drivers have been trained on how to end violence against women, and will use the upcoming Orange Days to raise awareness on violence against women in their own communities. “The drivers will share educational material about sexual harassment and violence against women with their clients, other tuk-tuk drivers and moto-taxis” explained Ou.
To inaugurate Orange Day, a parade of over 50 tuk-tuks was arranged through the city, shedding an orange light on the streets of Phnom Penh.
The latest Demographic Health Survey in Cambodia showed that one-in-five women is a victim of physical violence. “We need a full government and an all-of-society approach if we want to curb the violence” said Kusuma. Cambodia has over the years developed a more comprehensive approach towards ending violence against women. The Second National Action Plan on Violence against Women (2nd NAPVAW) was adopted by the Royal Government of Cambodia in December 2014 and is now being rolled out at the sub-national level.