HeroinesInEconomy

Arts and Music is good form of expression that could be used to heal…

On the 18^th December 2106, The UnitedSisterhood Alliance (Us) together with The Messenger Band and its collaborators took to the stage a series of music and arts performance. The performance provides to the audience a fresh offer of the creative way to present the vital roles that women plays in the economy. The mix of performance including the narration through Chapey Dong Veng which describe the vital roles women plays as daughter, wife, mother, in rice farming, incomes earning to cope with the health expenditure needs of sick parents, education of siblings particularly brothers; the break-dance show describing the work as housewife, factory worker, entertainment worker, breadwinner to earn incomes to support the family and build the economy.

Through songs, The Messenger Band once again offer the audience a sweet touching voice, content piece that demonstrate the richness of their call, for recognition, for respect, for protection, and equitable access to resources and services for women, men and the people of the country.

Performance of Chapey - narrating women role in the economy.

Women represent 52% of the total population in Cambodia. While the enrollment rate of girl students at the primary and lower secondary school are generally shared with that of the male students, the declines at the high school, and tertiary education level for female students remains the key challenges for equity in access to education. While the performance does not touch on the equity in access to education, one of the audience who have been working in the garment factory experiences “working hard to earn income to support the family, and send two brothers to university educations…” in the hope that they would be able to get a better job for the better future. Women who work in the entertainment industry, taken up sex works and rather works that generate incomes from providing entertainment related-services to the clients, often face with abuse of different forms from clients, gangsters, establishment owners and those in position of power over women, incomes from the work of these women represent a big contribution to the economy.

Actors and actresses wrapped up the performance with the symbolic of the key role that women playing.

Recognizing that women is the backbone of the family, community and economy is recognizing that, no matter they are working in the formal or informal economy, their contribution is vital to contribute to the development of the country.

Recognizing that women has equal right as human being to that of the man means that access to basic services such as education, quality health care, adequate housing and safety for women are vital that states have to provide for.

Women rights and dignity have to be upheld,

As women, we must live with hope and dignity,

For Hope and Dignity enable women to strive for the best potential they could over,

To Growth of the Economy,

To Happiness of the Family, and

To be a true leader of oneself, to be a Woman. 

"Clothes bag with Doodle design of the Women's Wish and Aspiration"

As a working woman, to be at the event is a demonstration of solidarity, of recognition and an encouragement to other fellow women who have gone through a much harder, harsher road to self development and fulfillment of their lives. The role that each and every woman plays cannot be relaid through words, cannot be described through a book but it is a life journey, an inspiration that one you turn the first page, you can only keep reading those life story because her contribution is as important as that of her fellow citizen of the country.