There is no force more powerful than a woman determined to rise.
We believe women are amazing. We believe women are powerful and strong. We believe women have what it takes to break the intergenerational cycles of poverty, to contribute to their communities and change the world.
In many households in Cambodia, it is a woman who is the backbone of the family. She carries the burden of household chores, looking after children, taking care of sick family members, managing, sometimes scarce, resources and so much more, each and every day. Even when others in the family help, women still carry the disproportionate burden of the mental load: their minds are full of thoughts, worries and strategies for how to manage and support the daily functioning of the household and all the people in it. Despite often having had fewer opportunities as young girls to succeed in education and having fewer opportunities to engage in the work force, they often do what they can to contribute towards the household income. Sadly, women in Cambodia are living within a culture that traditionally places lower value on their work, marginalizes them and encourages them to be silent and subservient.
Cambodia Knits believes that given economic opportunities, a woman will invest her income into the health, education and future of her family. Supporting a woman to have employment, also means supporting her family and ultimately her community. Many women in Cambodia face constraints in finding and keeping paid employment that they can balance with their household duties. We challenge the constraints women face to provide fair, flexible employment and to support them to challenge those constraints. Given such economic opportunities and support, women have a better chance for a brighter future for themselves and their families.
