Provide women and girls education in Cambodia

With only a couple of days until 2017 we wanted to say thank you for all you've done to support us throughout 2016! There are still a couple of days to pledge your support before the year comes to a close. 

We love sharing success stories, and at WRC there are many. As you may know, we also engage men in our educational workshops as a means to strengthen positive family relationships and support gender equality.

This story about San, a recent graduate from our Parents Talk Program, is nothing short of remarkable...

San is a 34-year-old labourer, husband and father of 3 children; 2 boys and 1 girl. San didn't attend school past first grade.

San had a troubling upbringing, with an abusive father he was terrified of. His childhood memories are laying in bed shaking with fear hearing his drunk father arriving home each night. As a child, San always told himself he would never be like his father. Sadly, San's father was his most influential role model and San has been abusive to his own children; beating, pinching and threatening them. San knew he wasn't being a good father, but he didn't know how to be a father.

This year, San attended our Parent Talks Workshop and San can't believe the changes he has been able to make since learning about the responsibilities of a parent. San now spends quality time with his children to play, explore, chat about their concerns and listen to his children when they need him. With a tear in his eye, San explains how his children feel "very close" to him because he "no longer beats them". 

The pride San feels since becoming a "good father" is encapsulated when he told us, "my children will now have a happy life - a different life - not the same as my experience".

Thank you for supporting our programs throughout 2016, providing education to women, girls, children and their families. Without you, people like San, and his children would be going to bed angry and afraid, instead of happy, healthy and full of love.

Dear friends,

49% of women in Cambodia believe there are times when it is okay for a husband or partner to hit their wife. Yes, you read that correctly. It is not only men but women who also believe violence toward them is, at times, justified.

Source: World Health Organisation, National Survey on Women’s Health and Life Experiences in Cambodia, 2015

This belief needs to be challenged!

With your generous support, you have given us a voice and standing in the community to partake in the 16-day Elimination of Violence Against Women campaign, from November 25 - December 10, 2016. We aim to stimulate community dialogue and community awareness that violence against women is ABSOLUTELY NEVER OK.  

Our public activism began this week with an opening event at WRC, accompanied by the presence and genuine support from our local Village Chief and representative from the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. It was here that local community members were already rallying one another to take action - to speak to their family and friends about the issue and to set an example with their lives about valuing and respecting women. 

Each of the #16days encompasses an activity to ignite conversation amongst the community, including reaching out to individuals in public spaces and facilitating workshops at Universities and other tertiary education facilities. It is throughout this engagement that we inspire a call to action with a question - ‘what can we do to help end violence against women?’ One young man responded ‘We have a responsibility and opportunity, especially as the young generation, to set an example with our lives’.  

Thank you for helping us to fuel the energy for action far and wide!

Year-End Challenge and Opportunity

As we welcome in the holiday season, you have the opportunity to contribute to expanding our impact into 2017, allowing us to empower more vulnerable women to transform their lives for the better. 

We are committed to reach our goal of $40,000 by the end of December 2016. 

We are almost there and we need your support to achieve it!

Not only does money have value in how you partner with us, your voice, your hands, your time and your resource are all equally important to making a tangible difference. It is with your partnership that this is all possible. 

Please share this with your friends, family, colleagues and encourage them to do the same.  

Thank you for standing with us!

Links:

• Follow our Facebook page for campaign updates!