Capacity Building Training on Media Monitoring-Ending Violence Against Women

Language English

The Open Institute is a non-governmental and not-for-profit organization that envisions Cambodia as a country in which widespread access to high quality education, information, communication, and technology lead to a more developed and just society. Currently, Open Institute has received funding support from UN Women to study on the Media Monitoring for Ending Violence Against Women in Cambodia.The project will gather and record quantitative and qualitative data about VAW to form a base of evidence that can be used in the future. Three local print media, three radio stations and three TV stations will be monitored. On 19 February 2014, at Open Institute Office, capacity building training was held for project staff. The training facilitated by UN Women and Mr. Sareth Uy, Project Manager at the Open Institute. The purpose of this training is to help staff better understand the meaning of Violence Against Women (VAW) and be able follow the Media Monitoring Methodology for the project. The project team will then identify articles in order to consistently track reporting of VAW in the Cambodia.

Ms. Chim Manavy, Executive Director of the Open Institute at staff capacity building.
Phnom Penh 19 February, 2014
Photo by: Open Institute In an opening speech Ms Chim Manavy, Executive Director of Open Institute expressed her gratitude towards UN Women for providing the organization the opportunity of cooperation and partnership between the two institutions, UN Women and the Open Institute. She also expressed her sincere thanks to Ms. Inala Fathima and Ms.Yuki Lo, both from UN Women’s Ending Violence Against Women programme, for facilitating the half day training on the project to provide increased capacity for Open Institute staff as well as a comprehensive understanding of violence against women in a wider context and how to monitor media in the cases of violence against women in Cambodia.

Ms.Inala Fathimath, MMEVAW Programme Manager at UN Women, made a presentation at OI staff capacity building.
Phnom Penh 19 February, 2014
Photo by: Open InstituteMs. Inala Fathimath, MMEVAW Programme Manager of UN Women, made a presentation about the definition and types of violence against women and gender-based violence, and their differences. She provided an explanation on the key terms being used worldwide related to the violence and provided clear examples of types and nature of VAW.

She continued that the term “violence against women” as we understand it is the intentional physical, sexual, and/or psychological abuse of women due to their biological sex and/or their social role. There are many conventions, laws and declarations concerning violence in general and specifically to Cambodia law. The laws and policies of Cambodian institutions in protecting the women's rights are: labour code (1997), law on the prevention of domestic violence and protection of victims (2005), law on monogamy (2006), Law on suppression of human trafficking and sexual exploitation (2008), civil code (2007) and civil procedure code (2006), criminal code (2010) and criminal procedure code (2010). Policies are observed such as safe village/commune/Sangkat policy (2010), Neary Rattanak 4 (2014-2018), the second National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women(NAPVAW).

In addition to Inala, Ms. Yuki Lo, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of UN Women introduced types of violence requiring monitoring in the media. She provided many examples of gender bias sentiments, victim blaming, and downplay of violence that are often expressed in the media.

At the conclusion of the training session, participants came out with clear ideas related to violence against women. Ms. Manavy and staff of Open Institute expressed their thanks again to UN Women staff for providing the fruitful training and showing the perfect partnership.

For Khmer version, please click here.

The whole picture at OI staff capacity building.
Phnom Penh 19 February, 2014
Photo by: Open Institute