Over the years, he came to see that development is about whether people can reach schools, health services and markets, and whether rural communities have the same opportunities as those living elsewhere.
“When I had the opportunity to serve, I always worked with specialized departments and partner organizations to request infrastructure for local development,” he says. “We wanted citizens to have the same opportunities as those in other areas, especially education and health opportunities for women and children in rural areas.”
In the districts he has served, the barriers women and girls face are especially visible. Boys are more often encouraged to continue their studies, while girls are frequently held back by safety concerns, household expectations and the difficulties of studying far from home.
“If a family has two children, a boy and a girl, they often give the opportunity to the son,” Saroeun explains. “They worry about their daughter and do not want her to go far from home.”
That’s why he has pushed for concrete solutions, like girls’ dormitories, scholarships and stronger local services, to make it easier for girls to stay in school. “Education is essential for them to have opportunities in life,” he says.
His work has also focused on creating more space for women in local leadership. Saroeun has supported women to step into public and political roles, not only as participants but as decision-makers: “I have given opportunities for women to serve as commune chiefs, commune council members, district council members and deputy district governors.”
In Thala Barivat District, where he previously served as governor, women held 6 out of 15 district council seats. He also describes supporting younger women to continue their studies and move into public service roles, including teaching, administration and district leadership. For Saroeun, this is not symbolic. It is practical governance. Women, he believes, bring essential knowledge, experience and leadership to solving community problems.
Now in Siem Pang, one of the challenges he is confronting is early marriage, which continues to cut short girls’ education and limit their futures. In some communities, girls are married at age 14 or 15, before they’ve even completed lower secondary school. Saroeun sees this not only as a social issue, but as a development issue that requires coordinated local action.
“We will build dormitories for teachers and students, so they have the opportunity to complete high school,” he says, particularly in remote communes where distance remains a major barrier. He says when girls can complete school and gain qualifications, they’re better able to shape their own futures and contribute to their communities in different roles.
For Saroeun, advancing women’s leadership begins with widening access, but it doesn’t end there. He frames gender equality as something rooted in collective problem-solving.
“I believe women must have the opportunity to help shape decisions on the issues that affect their communities, communes and districts,” he says. “These are challenges we can only solve together.”
