NGO-CEDAW and partner CSOs have released the 2020 CEDAW Monitoring Report which highlights achievements and challenges related to implementing the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). The report also features a progress report on steps taken so far to implement the recommendations contained in the CEDAW Committee’s Concluding Observations from its 2019 review session of Cambodia’s implementation of the Convention. NGO-CEDAW’s full report can be read here.

In light of the findings from our research and the request by the CEDAW Committee to provide a follow-up report by November 2021, we call for the government to take the following concrete steps to prioritize some areas for CEDAW implementation:

1)           Discard the draft law on public order and the new sub-decree on the internet gateway as such laws potentially violate women’s freedom of expression and rights to privacy, and a gender impact assessment is necessary before adopting new legislation.

2)           Allocate adequate national budget for effective implementation of NAPVAW III and Neary Rattanak V and the upcoming national policy on gender equality.

3)           Amend and enforce laws aimed at the elimination of intimate partner violence, sexual violence against girls, and all other forms of gender-based violence, particularly by providing responsive services that focus on the physical and mental wellbeing of survivors and ensure access to justice for survivors.

4)           Act to prevent and eliminate all harassment, violence, and other forms of gender-based discrimination in the world of work, by adopting strong national policies and by ratifying the ILO Convention No. 190.

5)           Train all security personnel hired by government or municipal actors, including their managers and supervisors, on how to interact with women in a non-violent and gender-sensitive manner.