Cambodia Launches 4th National Action Plan to Combat Violence Against Women and Girls

Cambodia's Ministry of Women's Affairs has officially launched the "National Action Plan on Prevention and Intervention of Violence Against Women and Girls, 4th Phase (2025-2030)", aiming to strengthen the prevention, suppression, and intervention of violence against women and girls effectively and in a timely manner. The plan was announced during a ceremony on September 21, 2026, presided over by His Excellency Dr. Sar Sokha, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior. Her Excellency Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Minister of Women's Affairs, stated that violence against women is a severe human rights violation that restricts the fundamental rights and freedoms of women. According to Minister Ing Kantha Phavi, these actions include the use of violence, threats, coercion, or deprivation of liberty, which can occur in public or private life. The primary causes of violence against women are widely recognized to stem from gender inequality and discrimination. Women and girls are a high-risk group for experiencing all forms of violence, including physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence, both directly and through the use of technology. Her Excellency Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi further stated that research on the experiences of several developed countries indicates that violence against women is a significant obstacle to women's participation in economic and social development, leading to financial losses in the tens of millions of dollars. These funds are spent on health services, lost productivity, safe shelters for women survivors and their children, social services for rehabilitation, legal services, and other necessary services to support victims. For Cambodia, the government has already approved three previous National Action Plans: the first from 2009-2013, the second from 2014-2018, and the third from 2019-2023. These plans aimed to strengthen cooperation, increase joint efforts in implementing preventive measures, and facilitate the monitoring, tracking, and evaluation of work effectiveness, based on the principle of promoting social equity and inclusion, in line with the slogan of the Sustainable Development Goals: "Leave No One Behind."