In Cambodia, gender roles are traditionally anchored in the Chbab Srey and Chbab Proh—ancient, melodic poems prescribing women as obedient housewives and men as stoic providers as prescribed code of conduct for society. Cambodia’s youth are increasingly challenging these restrictive standards, asking a vital question: Who is responsible for change? Is it the oppressed who must speak up, the society that enforces the tradition or the institutions that shape policy?
The HBF Cambodia team sat down with an emerging voice in the local hip-hop scene: Sang Sok Serey, one of the most influential female rappers in Cambodia. Serey’s music, in particular her track “Her Voice”, directly challenges the choke-hold of the Chbabs.
In this conversation Serey talks about possibilities of intergenerational dialogue and ways forward requiring monumental shifts for all Cambodians to build an identity rooted in gender relations independent of the past.
Serey says, "Everyone’s voice has their own reason and [...] their own way."
Before you dive into the interview, we invite you to listen to "Her Voice"—which opens with the traditional melody of the Chbab Srey, before Serey’s rap breaks through.
Please listen to the interview here:
Redefining Gender: How Hip Hop Challenges Cambodia’s Traditional Gender Codes - Heinrich Böll Stiftung Cambodia
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