CIPO- Cambo Indigenous Women Association

General

In Cambodia there are many organization and institutions that work on indigenous people in capacity building, various knowledge about the rights to freedom of expression, political rights, the rights access to social protection. Although many relevant organization and institutions paid attention on indigenous women but their problem have not been responded yet. Seeing this, minority women from different indigenous group have common idea to establish the indigenous women network to voice their issues and concems and, hold the government and private sector to account and protect. The benefit of their communities. On 02 September 2018 women’ group organized a consultation workshop on the establishment of the first women’s network in Cambodia, coordinated bythe Cambodia Indigenous People Alliance (CIPA), Cambodia Indigenous People Organization (CIPO) Highlander Association (HA). Following its inception, the women’s group received supported from International Indigenous Women Forum (IIWF) through the CambodiaIndigenous People’ financial system to carry out its activity starting in April 2019. In 2020 the women’s group have prepared its action plan according to the old plan from last year, discussed with the members who do not yet have the budget to support and implement out the activity. For the women’steam, there are many issues and needs that must be push and addressed indigenous communities, such as land rights issues decimationissue, economic, education, mining issue and climate change issue. The project was developed by seeing the impact of mining investment in Mondulkiri and its potential impacts on community’s livelihood, heath, and environment and to empower IP women to take control and protect their resources and, ensure social and, environmental safeguarding. In addition, the women would like to have frequent training or meeting with communities living around mining investment area to strengthen their capacity to recognize their rights to participate in the early stages of researches and environmental assessment. Community awareness on the impact prevention methods are important to seek intervention from the company and the ministry of the mines and energy to take strict action against the activities of its workers who violate the national law. The strengthening IP women network in the mining-affected area of communities, forests communities, and indigenous collective communities is crucial to voice their concems and hold the government and company accountable. Oxfam through EI project 2022is partnering with CIPO/CIWA to continue implementing the project namely "Strengthening the rights and collective voice of indigenous women to prevent their rights from the impact of mining investment in Keo Seima District, Mondulkiri province." The overall objective of the project is "IPs Women and men realized their rights to protect their community and environment from potential mining impacts." To achieve this the project will focus on community organizing, building institutional capacity and identity of IPs communities, uphold FPIC and IPs' rights, their capacity to monitor impacts and their collective voicesto negotiate with the government and private sectors to account and mitigate social and environmental impacts on their communities.