PHNOM PENH: The Royal Government of Cambodia has participated an international virtual conference on the prevention of violence against women with disabilities on Wednesday. It was hosted by ADD International Cambodia promoting the rights of women with disabilities.The two-day webinar envisions women with disabilities to be respected by promoting capacities in order to free them out of poverty and protect them from gender violence.
The international conference was participated by leaders from different parts of the world including the USA, the United Kingdom and a number of countries in Africa. Director of the General of Social Development Department, Nhean Sochetra is one of the representatives from Cambodia expressing the Royal Government’s support to protect the women’s rights, especially those with disabilities.
Secretary of State of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the General Secretariat of the Council for Disability Action, Em Cham Makara, has also delivered a message saying that violence against women and girls with disabilities is a global concern that carries negative economic, social and health consequences for women and their families.
He says girls with disabilities who witness domestic violence are found to have an increased risk of psychological and behavioral problems, calling everyone to work together in order to avoid physical, sexual, economic or psychological harm to women or girls with disabilities.
Makara has stressed that Cambodia is committed to build the necessary foundations for the successful implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, enhancing access to social, economic and material support and increasing prevention of vulnerabilities for violence and exploitation.
Makara has urged national and international development partners to cooperate and set objectives for the National Strategic Plan on Disability 2019-2021, as well as the Phase 3 of the National Action Plan on “Prevention of Violence Women 2019-2023”
UN Women Regional Coordinator for Bangkok, Sarah Knibbs, has also spoken, stressing that women empowering needs to be aligned with building capacity inside the communities, so women with disabilities can be inserted at the local economy, free from any discrimination.
