Economic Empowerment of Women in Cambodia

Markus Petersson
10 Sep 2024

The absence of secure, living-wage employment constitutes a serious livelihood barrier for many Cambodian women. Caught in the intersection of multiple hardships, women trying to establish themselves on the formal Cambodian labor market experience greater vulnerability due to prevailing structures and an unequal allocation of resources. Harmful social norms are still restricting what women can and should be; education levels remain low (almost 50% of women aged 25 or over have not completed primary education); the distribution of unpaid and domestic responsibilities is heavily unequally distributed (with 90% of the burden falling on women); and public decision-making represents an overwhelmingly male-dominated domain.

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The ability to earn a stable livelihood is further undermined by discriminatory job policies and the vulnerable nature of the work available. Even when women can secure and maintain waged labor positions, the circumstances are often highly precarious. Today, between 94% and 96% of the female labor force do not have employers that contribute to their social security and are not entitled to any paid leave or sick leave benefits. When formal employment is available, fixed-duration contracts are routinely used as a tool to undermine access to benefits and erode any sense of long-term job security. Pregnancy-based discrimination, forced overtime, and the unwillingness to pay for sick leave are all frequently reported issues that further exacerbate the volatile conditions for women trying to support themselves and their families via the formal Cambodian labor market.  

Within this context, the ability to create safe and stable work environments with full social benefits - health insurances, pensions, paid leave etc. - where women can work together towards shared objectives, can serve as a promising foundation for growth and personal development. 

En bild som visar text, person, personer, gruppAutomatiskt genererad beskrivning

That, at least, is the notion guiding Eco-Soap Bank’s recycling operations in Cambodia and our other hub locations around the world.  To help dismantle ingrained livelihood barriers, Eco-Soap Bank employs and trains disadvantaged women to recycle and redistribute soap. All soap recyclers are local women with no previous reliable source of income. The immediate aim is to alleviate financial burdens, help them support their families, and encourage development and growth as individuals. The long-term objective is to engender tangible progress towards economic empowerment for all women employed at Eco-Soap Bank. 

In a recent report, we followed a group of newly employed soap recyclers during their first year of employment at Eco-Soap Bank’s recycling hub in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Using a series of pre-post surveys and in-depth life story interviews, we wanted to get a better understanding of financial and social impacts, as well as trace their ability to make tangible progress towards economic empowerment. Since we believe economic empowerment should be considered a multifaceted process, the report utilized a conceptualization that encompasses three distinct outcome dimensions: access to resources, agency, and wellbeing. Each empowerment indicator was operationalized through a series of variables and conclusions drawn by analyzing holistic change across all domains. 

The findings provided great insights into the tangible impacts experienced during their first year with Eco-Soap Bank. After just 12 months with the organization, the average income had increased by 40%, while worries and stress levels decreased significantly. The increased access to resources had also resulted in improved agency, with 100% reporting that their ability to influence decisions had improved during the year. The women were also more satisfied with their current life situation. All felt their confidence had improved, and most felt they are now able to have and do more of the things they want in life. A majority reported improvements within key capabilities. 82% felt positive or very positive when thinking about the future. 100% felt that they are now making progress towards their future goals and dreams. 

Figure 1. Economic Empowerment Study Results

While these immediate effects are highly encouraging, it is Eco-Soap Bank’s strongly held belief that true change comes from stability and sustainability. Our soap recycling operations are therefore not short-term programs; they are designed with longevity in mind

Our aim is that all women employed at Eco-Soap Bank should be able to feel safe not only for the immediate future, but for as ever long as they feel a need. Allowing them to create a stable life, raise their children in a secure and nurturing environment, and progress towards future goals and achievements. 

That, we believe, is how to build a stronger foundation for this, and future, generations of women in the least developed countries.  

// The Eco-Soap Bank Team

For the full research paper and more, check our our research page

Markus Petersson
Monitoring and Evaluation Director