ILO/Japan Regional Programme for Expansion of Employment Opportunities for Women (EEOW)

Cambodia Chapter

The ILO/Japan Asian Regional Programme for Expansion of Employment Opportunities for Women (EEOW) Cambodia Chapter aims to increase the number and quality of jobs available to women. It promotes gender equality and the rights of women workers with both government and non-government organizations through 3 inter-related strategies.

Capacities of partner organizations are built in participatory project design, monitoring and evaluation, and training on the social and economic empowerment of women alongside men in communities. Pilot projects are developed to demonstrate ways to improve the socio-economic status of women. Third, women in the informal economy and their support organizations are supported in networking and policy advocacy to help improve work prospects for rural and urban women and their families in poverty. Project activities include providing gender awareness and skills training, improving vocational and business management skills and supporting women in setting up savings and credit systems.

The project is funded by Japan from 2002 until 2006. A twin project operates in Vietnam. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs and the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training are the lead Government agencies. Other concerned Ministries, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), employer and union representatives participate in the EEOW Project Steering Committee which helps to identify, formulate and initiate policy reforms on women's employment promotion at national and local levels. The project is part of the follow-up to the World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995.

Project Targeted Area and Implementing Partners

Activities

At policy level

• Study on Informal Economy Profile and Policy Development in Cambodia
• Regular meetings with government officials and other stakeholders to share good practices and lessons learned from the community-based activities

At institutional capacity building

• Project Design and Proposal Development Workshop
• Gender Mainstreaming and Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation
• Training of Trainers Workshops on Women Workers’ Rights and Gender Equality
• Training of Trainers Workshops on GET Ahead: Gender and Entrepreneurship Together for Women in Enterprise
• Training of Trainers Workshop on Training Skills and Participatory Methods
• Training on Managing Small Business Associations

At community level

• Micro-finance schemes (credit & saving)
• Gender awareness training for local women, men and authorities
• Women Workers’ Rights Training
• GET Ahead training
• Training on Managing Small Business Associations
• Training on various skills – handicraft, agriculture, husbandry, etc.