Ringing the Bell for Change in Cambodia’s markets

Date: Monday, 22 June 2026

Participants in the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2026: Advancing Women’s Leadership in Capital Markets through Sustainable Finance” event in Phnom Penh on 31 March, which addressed women’s leadership, gender-responsive procurement and more inclusive markets. Photo: UN Women/Lim Sophorn

Setting the tone for the “Ring the Bell for Gender Equality 2026: Advancing Women’s Leadership in Capital Markets through Sustainable Finance” event held on 31 March 2026 in Phnom Penh, Towfiqua Hoque, Resident Representative for Cambodia at the International Finance Corporation, declared: “Cambodia’s economy depends on women. Women are workers, women are entrepreneurs and women are business-owners. The gap is not contribution. But it’s access.”

Organized in Cambodia by UN Women together with capital market and government partners, and with support from the Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership, the event brought together more than 150 participants from government, financial institutions, listed companies, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), UN agencies and development partners.

The event explored a timely and urgent question: how can markets, procurement systems and corporate leadership do more to expand opportunities for women-led businesses in Cambodia?

“Women play a vital role in driving Cambodia’s economic resilience. Australia is working with Cambodia and UN Women through WE RISE Together to unlock women’s full economic potential, invest in inclusive market systems and expand economic opportunities for all.” noted Derek Yip, Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

In Cambodia, while women contribute significantly to jobs, local enterprise and economic resilience, many still struggle to access larger markets and procurement opportunities.

“This event is about advancing women’s economic empowerment by promoting equal rights, strengthening social inclusion in capital markets and expanding market opportunities for women-owned businesses,” said Sophea Khun, UN Women Cambodia Country Programme Coordinator.

Sophea Khun moderates a panel discussion with women business leaders on expanding women’s market access, alongside Thary Vorn of SUDrain, Hav Gechhong of Air Brick Handicraft, Chha Sreyneang of Neang Chnai, and Thuch Sokunthea of ME DARM. Photo: UN Women/Lim Sophorn

Hav Gechhong, Founder of Air Brick Handicraft, described some of the obstacles: “In my view, the issue for women entering the market is a lack of information. They don’t know that private or State institutions require certain bidding processes for their needs, so they just aren’t aware of them.”

Other women described less visible barriers, including discrimination, a lack of confidence or visibility. Thuch Sokunthea, Founder of ME DARM, said: “Women are still shy … Even if we have the business knowledge, if we don’t dare to show our faces, our businesses won’t be well-recognized.”

For women with disabilities, those barriers can be even more acute. According to Chha Sreyneang, Founder of Neang Chnai: “Speaking for myself, as someone with a disability, I find it the hardest because I don’t dare to reveal myself to society. … The problems I encounter are a lack of capital and the difficulty in securing funding. Sometimes, people don’t trust me because they assume that my disability means I can’t earn money.”

Across the event, speakers returned to one central point: procurement can be a powerful lever for change when it is inclusive by design.

That vision is being advanced through WE RISE Together, a programme funded by the Australian Government through the Mekong-Australia Partnership and implemented by UN Women across Mekong subregion, including Cambodia. The programme is working to strengthen more inclusive market systems by improving awareness and adoption of gender-responsive procurement, building stronger connections between buyers and women-owned businesses, and encouraging greater transparency and accountability in supply chains.

Products from women-led businesses are displayed during the event expo, highlighting the diversity and potential of women-owned enterprises in Cambodia. Photo: UN Women/Lim Sophorn

Katja Freidwald, Regional Programme Manager and Technical Advisor, Women’s Economic Empowerment, UN Women Asia and the Pacific, added: “WE RISE Together is really aimed at supporting entrepreneurs, but also working with businesses to incorporate entrepreneurs into their value chains. So that’s part of the equation: access to markets.”

The overall take-away was clear: when women-led businesses can access markets, contracts and finance more equally, the benefits reach far beyond individual enterprises. “Progress in this sector will directly lead to inclusive growth for the whole economy. It will also help Cambodia achieve its development goals and support regional growth,” said Khun.