I am a PhD candidate in Religion (Theology, Ethics and Culture program), hosted by HBF for my fieldwork.  My current research explores empowerment of Cambodian women who are religious leaders—both Christian and Buddhist women.  I want to compare their experiences of empowerment to the goal of women’s empowerment prevalent among NGOs in Cambodia.  While the empowerment of these women religious looks similar to the concept of women’s empowerment among NGOs, there are some differences.  I will be looking at the various responses to the chbap srey, the traditional Cambodia women’s code of conduct, among these various groups—NGOs, women leaders in Christianity, and women leaders in Buddhism, to better understand the values behind the concepts, and perhaps glimpse a new way of understanding empowerment.