Vannin is also part of efforts to address domestic violence and resolve family disputes, and he has helped lead awareness-raising on sexual harassment in the workplace across the district.
“In one week, we might resolve one or two cases related to divorce or domestic violence,” he says. “When there is violence in the home, we work together with the district administration to help resolve the situation.”
He also believes that preventing abuse requires clearer public understanding of what harassment looks like and how it can block women’s progress.
“When we promote gender equality, women should have roles equal to men,” he says. “But if a woman faces harassment in the workplace, it can prevent her from moving forward.”
For Vannin, supporting women’s leadership is not only a matter of policy. It is something he already sees taking shape in his district. In Tuek Phos, women are increasingly taking on leadership roles at commune and district levels.
“Out of our nine communes, five already have female commune chiefs,” he notes. “In the district administration, many office directors are women too, almost half.”
At the same time, he recognizes that barriers remain. Too often, long-standing social norms and expectations about gender continue to shape how women are seen and how they see themselves.
“Some women still feel they cannot do what men do,” he says. “And many lack confidence in their own abilities.”
For Vannin, the issue is not women’s ability, but the way these assumptions can limit confidence and discourage women and girls from stepping forward, even when they are fully capable of leading. That is why his message to girls and young women is centred on learning, persistence and belief in their own potential. He wants more women not only to participate, but to lead.
