1. Vision
A society in which women contributors and activists will be able to influence change in social development by being well informed, confident to express opinions, and knowledgeable on how to use technology to improve their work and empower other women.
2. Mission
The mission of the Women program is to inform and facilitate discussion on women issues and their rights, and to empower women through the training and strategic use of Information Communication Technology (ICT).
3. Goals
To promote gender equality in a society in which women can exercise their rights in a balanced way and can build competence to become self-sufficient, with improved women's participation in social, economic and political life, by means of:
- Ensuring that the necessary information is made available in the Khmer language and facilitating and fostering communication among gender activists.
- Creating awareness on how ICT can help gender equality.
- Ensuring that women's organizations are competent to teach and use ICT for empowering women.
4. Program Activities
There are three main activities in the Women program:
1. Women web portal
2. Information Communication Technology training
3. Research on the use of ICT and women
1. Women web portal
The Women web portal has been set up with the main aim to promote the wide dissemination of information related to women issues and rights and to facilitate communication.
b. Information on the web portal
Varieties of information related to women issues and rights are available on the web portal include:
- Legal documents on rights
- Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women
- Domestic violence, rapes, human trafficking
- Information about women organizations and networks
- Information about women's experiences and their struggles in life
- Gender mainstreaming, education, health, Information Technology, leadership, and other information.
c. Types of information on the web portal
- News, articles extracted from local newspapers and magazines.
- Laws and legal documents
- Information and reports from institutions whose works are on women issues
- Research results
- Government decrees and sub-decrees
- Statements, announcements
- Media files: photos
d. Information providers
Information sources who have provided information for the web portal are:
- Ministry of Women's Affairs, other government ministries and institutions.
- Women networks, international and local non-governmental organizations.
- News agencies, local and international newspapers and magazines.
e. The web portal as a mean of communication
The web portal also provides electronic communication such as mailing list, gender@lists.open.org.kh, Blog and Online Forum in order to promote ideas expressions and communication for women organizations and relevant institutions.
f. Editorial Advisory group and meeting
- To form an editorial advisory group and coordinate its meetings.
- To organize Women Forums to discuss with other institutions which work on women related issues, about the development of a cooperative analysis and to find out common solutions for the issues.
Web address of the Women web portal is: http://women.open.org.kh
2. Information Communication Technology training
- Training to build women's capacities on Information Communication Technology - ICT.
- Promote understanding about gender equality and ICT.
3. Research on the use of ICT and women
- Research on participations, uses, skills, and works of women in Information Communication Technology.
5. Target Groups
- Women who are commune council members and government officials.
- Women from women organizations and networks
- Female and male representatives from government and non-governmental institutions whose works related to women's issues.
- Women who are teachers
- Youth: young women and female students
6. Information Needs and Institutional Cooperation
This program can be implemented thanks to the participation and close cooperation from various institutions such as government ministries and institutions, local and international non-governmental organizations and women networks whose works related to women's issues. The Open Institution plays a coordinating role to facilitate access to information on women's concerns, exchange of ideas and opinions and discussions on women problems.
Institutions or organizations work on women programs are encouraged and warmly welcomed to participate in our Women program by sharing information related to women, participating in women forums, editorial advisory group meetings, and electronic discussions. Your participation and feedback is an important factor for the implementation of this program. You can send your documents in electronic or hard copy form to us at the following addresses:
For more information about the Women program, please contact:
Ms. Prak Sokhayouk, Project Coordinator
Open Institute
House 19, Street 374
Sangkat Toul Svay Prey I,
Khan Chamkar Morn
P.O Box: 1552
Tel: 023 224821
E-mail: sokhayouk[@]open.org.kh
Website of the Open Institute: www.open.org.kh
7. What are the benefits that your organizations can get from our program?
Your organizations will get a lot of benefits such as:
- Distribution of your organizational profile on the Women web portal
- Directly sharing information and knowledge on womens more broadly
- Participating in electronic discussions on women's issues
- Building capacity in using Information Communication Technology to improve work efficiency by cooperating to mainstream gender equality and to participate in Cambodian social development
8. Donors
This program is financially supported by the Open Society Institute - OSI - and the Spanish International Cooperation Agency - AECI.