A Cambodian woman’s journey to overcome personal obstacles and become a champion for migrant workers’ rights
Date:
Author: Socheath Heng
Migrant workers are those who leave their home to find work in another town, city or country. Phally, 35, a migrant worker from Cambodia found herself in this situation 20 years ago. She was not able to complete secondary school, and migrated to Malaysia to financially support the education of her younger siblings.
According to Phally there was no possibility of earning money in Cambodia at that time. After migrating to Malaysia she was able to quickly move up the work ladder. She started as a factory worker, but was soon promoted to become a quality controller.
During one workday she encountered two UN Women-supported non-governmental organizations (NGOs): the Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA) and Cambodian Youth Network (CYN). These two organizations made Phally aware of her rights as a migrant worker. She also attended the organizations’ workshop on safe migration. “This was the first time that an organization came directly to a factory and informed us about how we can prevent ourselves from being abused by employers,’’ said Phally. Following this meeting, Phally began to engage in more networking events, which have since become a major part of her life.
In 2014, Phally was elected President of the Cambodian Migrant Worker Solidarity Network. The network is a key organization running information campaigns and networking events for migrant workers in Malaysia to strengthen their resilience against abuse by employers, smugglers and unethical agencies. Phally, the committed leader, emphasises that she eventually wants to return to her home country: “One day I want to come back to Cambodia, but before that I want to help fellow migrant women to better protect themselves.’’
UN Women’s ‘South-East Asia Regional Programme on Empowering Women Migrant Workers in Asia’ is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
