A new show titled ‘Empowering Growth: The Women Shaping Cambodia’, celebrating women leaders and entrepreneurs, held its official Launch Ceremony on September 23, 2023 at Chip Mong Mega Mall.
The launch was attended by H.E. Samheng Boros, Minister Attached to the Prime Minister and Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY), H.E. Kry Nallis, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, H.E. Rina Ing, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Justice, H.E. Oknha Keo Mom, President of the Cambodia Women Entrepreneurs Association, and Var Vichea, the Director of the Insurance Regulator of Cambodia, along with many other distinguished guests from leading enterprises, businesses and development organisations.
‘The Women Shaping Cambodia’ will be hosted by Kim Tol Tan, Founder and CEO of Grow4Growth, and released in partnership with B2B Cambodia, focusing on the journeys of trailblazing women in Cambodia who have helped shape the nation’s growth and development. “It's really a platform to support Cambodian women leaders in various sectors… featuring their success stories, their journeys… all the challenges they have faced as Cambodian women leaders,” said Kim, while speaking with B2B Cambodia.
“It's not just about [women] in business, but also [about women in] various sectors, from politics to health, education to technology. We want to [broadcast their stories] because it's really important for women who have achieved a certain level [of success] to be able to share their stories and be an inspiration to other Cambodian women. And we hope that [this will be the case] not just for Cambodian women here in Cambodia, but also Cambodian women that are outside the country.”
Striving For Gender Equality
Grow4Growth and B2B Cambodia signed an MoU to officially launch 'The Women Shaping Cambodia' show. During her speech at the launch ceremony, Kim noted that Cambodia's low rank in the Global Gender Gap Report still indicates a lot of work is needed to achieve true gender equality in the Kingdom. With this in mind, Kim stated that the show will strive to represent Cambodian women while presenting examples of success stories, including the many challenges women leaders have overcome to become leading innovators and change-makers within their respective industries. The hope is that the show will help inspire its viewers and create a community of support for women in Cambodia and across the world, as well as encourage further dialogue and collaboration between leaders from different industries and sectors towards achieving greater women’s empowerment.
Women’s Representation In The Public And Private Sector
Secretary of State Kry Nallis also delivered remarks during the launch event, noting that women currently make up 42 per cent of Cambodian government officials, with 27 per cent also holding decision-making positions. Furthermore, Nallis added that 84 per cent of Cambodia's economic workforce currently consists of women, and 61 per cent of all business owners and entrepreneurs in the Kingdom are also women. These are exceptionally high rates in the region, however, even with this level of progress, she acknowledged that there is still more work to be done, particularly in priority areas related to the private sector, digital technology, and politics. "It takes time to change the level of confidence and empowerment of women in a male-dominated work environment, and it requires the support of family members, communities, and workplaces," said Nallis. "We need to continue working together to overcome and improve [the situation].” Noting the high percentage of women business owners and entrepreneurs, Oknha Keo Mom, Founder of Ly Ly Foods and President of the Cambodia Women Entrepreneur Association, further encouraged Cambodian women entrepreneurs to embrace their bravery, strengths, and capabilities to expand their businesses by actively participating in various training courses.
A Vision For The Future
The launch ceremony was held at Chip Mong Mega Mall. The main event of the ceremony was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Grow4Growth Consultant Co Ltd. and B2B Cambodia, commemorating the official launch of the 'Empowering Growth: The Women Shaping Cambodia' show, which will begin airing in December 2023. During her closing remarks, Sarvinoz Nuritdinova, CEO of B2B Cambodia, expressed her excitement in being part of an important initiative to uplift women and stated that she hopes this show will help contribute to wider women’s empowerment efforts in Cambodia. “Today, we celebrate the incredible women leaders of Cambodia and hope for a future where all women can be encouraged to dream big and lead the lives they wish for,” she said.
“There are a lot of stereotypes and social norms here in Cambodia that we believe are really holding back women and prohibiting them [from] exploring and venturing out of their comfort zone,” added Kim. “What we really want to see is for them to break away from that, or to eliminate some of the limiting beliefs that they [face] through society and to [help women] really go for their dreams, explore the different options available, really go for what they want and be able to reach their full potential. That's what we want to see here in Cambodia."
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