Advancing Women Peace and Security Agenda in Cambodia

On 19 February, The Asia Foundation (TAF) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Cambodia’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs Cambodia to support the development of the National Action Plan on Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. This collaboration is made possible through the AMPLIFY: Amplifying Women’s Peace Actions in ASEAN program implemented by TAF with the support of the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).  

TAF’s AMPLIFY program is a 5-year regional initiative that aims to address the disproportionate impact of conflict on ASEAN women and strengthen peace actions through women’s participation and receipt of benefits. AMPLIFY is building on the knowledge and skills of ASEAN civil society actors working on WPS issues in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam, and supports the implementation of ASEAN’s Regional Plan of Action on WPS. At the country level, AMPLIFY focuses on Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar to engage women in the communities, civil society organizations (CSOs), and national decision-makers.  

The Women Peace and Security Agenda or WPS is a global policy framework adopted 25 years ago by the UN Security Council Resolution 1325, recognizing the meaningful participation of women in achieving peace and preventing conflict through its four pillars of Participation, Protection, Prevention, and Relief and Recovery.  

This MoU between TAF and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs in Cambodia aims to provide technical assistance through knowledge exchanges of good practices and lessons learned, and increased coordination and collaboration among the relevant stakeholders to facilitate the national process of successfully developing a National Action Plan in Cambodia. 

In 2022, Cambodia, as the ASEAN Chair, led the adoption of the Regional Plan of Action on WPS (ASEAN-RPA on WPS), demonstrating regional’s efforts as a step forward to fulfill ASEAN’s vision of gender equality and women’s protection. Currently, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs Cambodia also serves as Chair of the ASEAN Advisory Group on WPS. 

“The WPS agenda has set the stage for many conferences, dialogues and meetings to acknowledge the significant roles that women play across all sectors of society as peacebuilders, mediators, leaders and the value of women’s participation for sustainable peace and security,” said Meloney Lindberg, the TAF country representative in Cambodia. 

The MoU signing signifies Cambodia’s commitment to the importance of women’s participation in sustainable peace in Cambodia and the ASEAN region, and the AMPLIFY program is happy to collaborate with MoWa. Our thanks again to the New Zealand government for their support of this program.  

Learn more about the AMPLIFY’s initiative.