Small grant winnersCambodian students and youth are learning how to use Facebook and Twitter over the internet to address the issue of violence against women. Through information-sharing activities, they will teach each other and engage in discussions about gender-based violence; some of which will elaborate strategic plans and suggestions for the national action plan on violence against women. In total, four local organisations will receive funding as part of the APC women’s programmes work on the third Millennium development goal on equality for women (MDG3).
TAKE BACK THE TECH! FUND WINNERS IN CAMBODIA
People Health Development Association (PHD) is using ICTs to build awareness among the youth in Phnom Penh in an effort to end violence against women. The 240 young people (120 male, 120 female) from six universities will mutually educate each other in peer to peer learning through the use of communications tools like Facebook, twitter, email, and the internet, which will indirectly reach out to over 1000 young people through discussion and information-sharing. The topics they will cover are all related to gender-based violence: rape, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation
Khmer Youth and Social Development (KYSD) is carrying out a number of activities to bring awareness about violence against women. Activities include a workshop on gender, VAW and ICTs for 30 participants of both sexes and all ages. The project, IVAW, will select 15 participants for a computer literacy training, where they will learn to use tools like Facebook, Twitter, email, Skype, etc. After the training, IVAW will engage in a mobilisation campaign via the internet, where participants will share ideas, lessons, experiences, good practices, strategic plans to end gender-based violence in order to contribute to the national action plan on violence against women.
ECPAT: End Child Prostitution, Abuse and Trafficking in Cambodia (ECPAT-Cambodia) is developing an online IT Resource Centre with a comprehensive collection of documents related to the issue of child sexual abuse and exploitation in Cambodia – CSEC. The project is upgrading its resource centre by training key staff, conducting online research to make relevant information on the topic available, and by establishing a two-way flow of information. Local and international NGOs, research institutions and government will all benefit from the increased services, such as the dissemination of documents for those who need them, and an up-to-date website.
Rural Development Association will raise awareness about violence against women in 25 remote villages on the effective use of mobile phones and Icom radios. Some 300 km away from Phnom Penh, local authorities like the village chiefs, police, monks and some villagers themselves will learn to use mobile phones in an effort to help prevent cases of gender-based violence. Rural Development Association will also create a support network for victims of violence against women.
Further reading:
Poverty and culture: Key barriers to education and training of women and girls in Cambodia
The Take Back the Tech! fund is a part of the APC women’s programme Take Back the Tech! to end violence against women project, which falls under the APC’s work towards achieving the third Millennium Development Goal on equality for women. A total of $20 000 dollars have been disbursed to twelve country partners for redistribution to local and grassroots organisations that are working with women and ICTs.
Photo by Open Institute: Small grant winners at a round table discussion