About this project
This initiative centered the voices and experiences of girls from Cambodia's minority communities, including Indigenous, ethnic Vietnamese, Cham Muslim, and Khmer Krom groups. It combined participatory research with art-based engagement and community dialogue to surface the realities minority girls face, including barriers to education, discrimination, cultural expectations, and limited access to opportunities. Across the initiative, girls and community members engaged in creative workshops and local exhibitions that created space for learning, storytelling, and intergenerational conversation, alongside scholarship support to help girls stay in school. The work culminated in a national public forum that brought together community representatives, civil society, and institutional stakeholders through exhibitions, research presentations, panel dialogue, and a documentary screening. Overall, the initiative elevated minority girls' lived experiences into broader public and policy conversations and strengthened collaboration around inclusive development in Cambodia.
Results
- Community art workshops and creative learning sessions with girls, supported by a training-of-trainers approach for community facilitators.
- Local community art exhibitions and dialogues that brought girls' stories into conversation with caregivers and local stakeholders.
- Participatory research implementation and analysis, including expanded community coverage across minority groups, and the preparation of research findings for public and stakeholder engagement.
- A "Send Girls to School" scholarship program, including mentorship and training support for scholarship recipients.
- A research publication launched and shared with stakeholders.
- A documentary produced to capture stories, process, and key findings, screened as part of public engagement activities.
- A national public forum in Phnom Penh featuring a public exhibition, research methodology and findings presentations, performances, panel discussion with policymakers and community representatives, and a documentary screening.
- Communications and advocacy activities, including a digital campaign for the International Day of the Girl and a public-facing panel at an international peace conference.