Pannasastra University of Cambodia

Commitment to Excellence

Faculty of Social Science and International Relations

Course: Gender Power

Term Paper Summary

“Making Space (Voice from the Girls of Cambodian
Minority Communities)”

Submitted to: Professor Say Puthy

Term: 23 March 2023 – 24 July 2023

Prepared by
Student’s name:
Ath Chanbunchheng (0080122)

Submission Date: 29th June, 2023

 “Making Space (Voice from the Girls of Cambodian Minority Communities)

To begin when I open this book, "Making the Space" makes me think of the sensation of
having my hand grasped and being a part of something greater. The facilitative listening design
(FLD) approach, which looks to me to be at the heart of the methodology and core value of this
book, was done with an incredible amount of depth and attention, and it astounded me as I read
this book. In addition to doing the first-of-its-kind community-based research, this group of
minority women and girls in Cambodia also uses FLD, a methodology that was created and
pioneered in Cambodia by practitioners at "Women Peace Makers," with whom they cooperate.
The very premise of such a risky technique is not only risky; it also strains the limits of normal
"outsider" academic study and significantly alters how information is created and shared.

Second, this book's approach design and implementation employs a mixed-methods

approach, utilizing a variety of tools and methods for research. It started with a qualitative
approach focused on storytelling and sharing and used "Facilitative Listening Design (FLD)," a
Cambodian-developed information collecting technique that uses listening and discussions among
people through narrative inquiry tailored instruments. The FLD's preliminary findings were
utilized as the foundation for a survey that was used to collect quantitative data from girls in the
Cambodian minority.

The survey findings provide a stronger statistical insight through designed questions that
followed up on what was discovered following FLD. On the other side according to what I gather
from this book, the goal of this study was to discover the difficulties and triumphs experienced by
girls in Cambodia who belong to ethnic, religious, and cultural minority groups. Additionally, it
examines the opinions of their seniors from the community and their siblings regarding how girls
are treated in their settings. By using a community-centered and participatory technique, it was
able to successfully collect fresh data and develop knowledge. Furthermore, it empowered
minority girls and their communities to plan and direct the inquiry processes as well as work
together with other minority groups to pinpoint shared experiences and enhance communication.
 Thirdly, the book expresses about the living among non-Muslim majority environments
presents difficulties for Muslim minority women worldwide. It is not uncommon for them to
experience discrimination or be the focus of persistent stereotypes due to particular dress customs,
such as wearing a hijab or completely covering themselves in long clothes. For instance,
differences in the relationships and interactions between men and women between Muslims and
non-Muslims may also hinder integration or coexistence with other communities.

Although Islam has a long history in Cambodia and is a significant element of society, the
country is best recognized for its Buddhist identity, which is firmly established as the official state
religion. This book’s section discusses "Cambodia Muslim Girls" by examining the lives of
Muslim girls from Kampong Tralach District in Kampong Chang province, the traditionalist Cham
of Orussey Commune, and the orthodox Cham of Chres and Chuk Sa Communes, which are only
20 kilometers apart from one another. Although the two communities are both Muslim and are
geographically adjacent to one another, there are variances between the two that reflect the
orthodoxy and practice divisions mentioned in the background. However, there are various
factories in the neighborhood that both share and that provide jobs for many Muslim families.
Opportunities for factory jobs also regularly serve as pull factors for females in school to frequently
leave early to support their families. As a result, you can see that women in Cambodian Muslim
communities face particular gender issues. Muslim girls in Cambodia face significant obstacles to
attending school. A lot of people don't finish primary school. This is frequently due to a lack of
resources, the need to farm, and the lack of cultural and religious accommodations in public
schools." In fact, Muslim girls were only allowed to wear hijabs in Cambodian schools in 2008.
Prior to this, girls' early school dropout was largely attributed to the ban on wearing headscarves
in schools. Cambodian Muslim girls' likelihood of pursuing education is significantly influenced
by gender bias. The decision of Cambodian Muslim parents to allow their daughters to study or
not is also influenced by attitudes that favor boys over girls, conservative attitudes toward girls'
education, and access to schools (both in terms of cultural differences and physical distances from
communities). Language has also sometimes been a barrier for young Muslims, who primarily
speak Cham language at home. In state schools, students' academic performance was below
average for those who spoke little to no Khmer.
 The finding for this section is mostly raising the aspects and talk about the struggles about
the important of language and the Muslim’s identity and connection in Cambodia and especially
Cambodia Muslim girls are proud of their identity. Second of the finding are talking about how
the Cambodian Muslim girls are dropping to work or getting marriage at a young age so they were
discouraged to go to school to learn more; however, they want to pursue higher education but often
face too many barriers to attend even they have high hopes and dreams for their communities and
themselves as well. Third, most of girls here are lack of the understanding of their rights and sexual
education because it is considered as taboo if talking about it outside the family. Fourth, the girls
do not have as much freedom or as many opportunities as boys due to community norms. Fifth,
most important of this finding highlights the complex family relations, violence and emigration of
the Cambodia Muslim girls.

Fourth, another section of this book is about the two distinct communities were the subjects
of this study: one with the girls who live in floating villages on the Tonle Sap River in the province
of Kampong Chhnang, and another with the girls who live in the province of Kandal on the border
between Cambodia and Vietnam. These communities are very different from one another. Nearly
all of the girls who live on the water in boat communities are at risk of statelessness and have no
idea what their legal identity is. On the other hand, those living close to the border frequently reside
in mixed-race communities and are significantly more ingrained in Khmer mainstream culture.
Despite the fact that the Vietnamese and other minorities in Cambodia face distinct challenges and
obstacles, mainstream Cambodian society frequently views them negatively.

The finding for this section is mostly raising the aspects and talk about the struggles about
ethnic Vietnamese girls face specific barriers to study including lack of financial recourses, legal
documents, transportation, infrastructure and experience discrimination. Second, Ethnic
Vietnamese girls and their parents prioritize legal identity and the chance to study to avoid a future
living in poverty. Third, most ethnic Vietnamese girls lack confidence and are not able to achieve
their own dreams. Fourth, violence against children si an ongoing issue in ethnic Vietnamese
communities. Fifth, many mixed-race ethnic Vietnamese-Khmer Cambodians hide their identity
to avoid discrimination.
 Fifth, the last case study of this book is based on sociological conceptions of minorities,
the investigated the Khmer Krom as a cultural minority group in Cambodia. Understanding a
minority group can also be very much in relation to a state when considering the Khmer Krom in
its context. A minority group ought to have some continuity over generations, but they may also
be excluded from political processes and may not have the same access to public services as a
majority group. As a result of this realization, Khmer Krom girls and the communities in which
they lived were examined as a cultural minority group in Cambodia despite the fact that they
belonged to the ethnic majority. Many government officials have stated in official documents,
public speeches, and declarations that Khmer Krom from Vietnam are automatically welcomed
into Cambodia as Cambodian citizens according to legal interpretations. However, the reality is
that numerous local issuing factors prevent many Khmer Krom residents in Cambodia from
obtaining legitimate identification documents.

Cambodian Khmer Krom girls are a unique group of young women who hail from the
southern region of Cambodia. They are known for their strong cultural heritage, which is deeply
rooted in Buddhism and traditional Khmer customs. These girls are often raised in rural areas,
where they learn to work hard and value family above all else. Despite facing numerous challenges,
such as poverty and limited access to education, Cambodian Khmer Krom girls have proven
themselves to be resilient and determined. Many have gone on to achieve great success in fields
such as business, politics, and the arts. Overall, Cambodian Khmer Krom girls are an inspiring
group of young women who embody the strength and beauty of their culture. Through their hard
work and perseverance, they serve as role models for future generations of Cambodians seeking
to make a positive impact on their communities.

The finding for this section is mostly raising the aspects and talk about the struggles about
the Cambodian Khmer Krom girls see housework as their main responsibilities and there are
challenges as well for them to stay in school due to financial issues. Second, girls desire to go to
school and become something in their lives but are unsure if they can achieve their dreams. Third,
girls feel little control of their own lives and feel pressure and restrictions from their own parents.
 In conclusion, it is essential to acknowledge most of minorities in our Cambodia also
encountered many various issues related to gender stereotypes, violence, regrets and they also have
dream outside of their communities as well. From what I see ‘Older generations’ are "tired" and
mostly "pessimistic". Because they are already tired and tried their best at their time. So, they
choose what is "easy and best" for them. I asked to myself “How about newer generation?”. From
what I see, it is not just happen now or here but it is happened everywhere and in the history. But
I see that times also changes with the society. This book opens my eyes more clearly and is
currently making me to feel fortunate about how I was born in Phnom Penh is more or less to
encounter those gender stereotypes and I have seen more people nowadays to access the
information about how girls are also more or equal to the boys when it comes to the capacity and
responsibility to the development of education, workplace and livelihood in this today day and
age’s society. Unfortunately, it is bringing pain to my heart of some brutal cases in this book
findings and someday I was hoping to attend personally to these communities so it will open my
mind up to more understanding and some resolves to these issues as well as I am hoping.