The Women and Girls Empowerment for Education and Life Skills project has been successfully delivered by the Cambodia Community Dream Organisation in partnership with Soroptimist International. Funded through generous Soroptimist donations, the project focused on improving the lives of women and girls in rural communities across Siem Reap province.
Built on long-term collaboration with local authorities and service providers, the project supported women and girls to develop skills, strengthen health knowledge, and engage more confidently in family and community life. Activities were shaped by local priorities and delivered in close cooperation with village leaders, health volunteers, and Commune Councils for Women and Children.
Participation exceeded expectations, with more than 2,500 women and girls taking part. This strong engagement reflects both the programme’s relevance and the trust built at community level. As this phase concludes, the following sections highlight how skills development, leadership, advocacy, and coordination have combined to support lasting change.
Key Achievements
Education and skills development formed the heart of the project. Women and girls participated in regular training that combined health education, gender equality, personal development, and practical life skills, with content shaped around daily realities.
Participants built stronger understanding of family health, hygiene, nutrition, communication, decision-making, and basic financial knowledge. Learning was designed for immediate application, and over time women showed clearer awareness of women’s rights, including the ability to recognise different forms of domestic violence. Many reported greater confidence in seeking services and participating in family and community discussions.
Economic progress followed these social gains. Through practical enterprise training, women applied new skills to small, locally appropriate businesses—farming, food sales, handicrafts, and sewing. Hundreds were able to generate or strengthen household income, contributing to improved stability and independence.
Strengthening Local Leadership through the Smart Women Network
The project placed strong emphasis on building local leadership through the Smart Women network. Forty-two women were selected across six communities based on their engagement and standing within their villages. Working with Commune Councils for Women and Children, they became trusted points of contact for advice, referral, and support.
Community halls were approved as safe spaces for counselling, alongside home visits for women who needed more discreet support. These familiar settings helped reduce barriers to seeking help and encouraged earlier engagement on issues such as health, family conflict, and safety.
The leadership impact extended beyond informal support. Several Smart Women went on to hold formal roles within village governance, including appointments as village chiefs and deputy chiefs, while others became active community volunteers. In parallel, mentoring and coaching reached more than 1,600 women and girls, strengthening confidence, planning skills, and participation in decision-making.
Advocacy and Access to Essential Services
Advocacy was central to the project’s approach, supporting women to navigate public systems and access essential services. Working closely with local authorities, health centres, police officers, and Commune Councils for Women and Children, the project focused on reducing barriers that often prevent women from seeking help.
A key area of progress was access to social protection, with hundreds of women receiving ID Poor cards that enabled free or reduced-cost health care and government support, particularly for maternal and child health.
This work was reinforced through home visits, counselling, and community dialogue. Project teams and local partners reached households facing health concerns, unstable income, domestic violence, or exclusion from services. Community forums brought women and service providers together to raise concerns, discuss solutions, and improve accountability. Feedback tools, including community comment boxes, helped ensure that women’s experiences informed local decision-making.
Networking and Shared Learning
The project created space for shared learning and coordination. Women’s awareness workshops and public seminars brought together participants, local leaders, health staff, teachers, and community representatives to exchange experiences and discuss practical challenges.
Regular meetings and roundtable discussions allowed local leaders, Commune Councils, and Smart Women to review progress and share solutions. Local messaging groups supported faster communication and follow-up. Together, these activities improved coordination, reduced isolation, and encouraged a more joined-up response to women’s needs at community level.
Lasting Impact
These achievements reflect the power of sustained partnership and community-led change, made possible by the generous donations of Soroptimists who believed in the potential of women and girls in rural Cambodia. Their support has created lasting impact that will continue to strengthen families and communities for years to come.
