Gender based violence (GBV)

As Cambodia closes in on 50 years since the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, generational trauma persists in many households and the country continues to maneuver the legacy of the mass atrocities committed during the 1970s.

Misogynistic social norms and gender roles heavily favor men in Cambodia, a sad trend that transcends many parts of the world. These norms can be so entrenched and hard to change that even frank discussions around changing attitudes towards gender equality, gender-based violence and empowerment of marginalized groups can be fraught.

Nai Moeun still remembers how her parents dealt with her as a child. Small transgressions would result in an angry or violent reaction, and she would repeatedly be told about so-called mistakes she made. These interactions were normally antagonistic.