Legal Protection Guidelines to Stop Violence Against Women, Developed by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs with Support from GIZ

12 June 2014

Phnom Penh, Cambodia, The Ministry of Women’s Affairs of Cambodia, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and GIZ Cambodia have launched here today the Guidelines for Legal Protection of Women’s and Children’s Rights, which aim to improve response for cases of intimate partner violence and sexual violence against women, as well as domestic violence and sexual violence against children.

“According to a recent survey undertaken by four UN agencies in Cambodia, 25 percent of women have experienced sexual or physical violence (or both) at least once from an intimate partner,” noted Minister of Women’s Affairs Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi during launch event. “These guidelines will contribute to strengthen the law enforcement in order to facilitate access of women and children to the judicial system and to make perpetrators accountable for their acts. The guidelines are to be used by the Judicial Police Agents of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs as well as by any state and non-state service provider assisting women survivors of gender-based violence.”

Ms. Birgit Strube, First Secretary of the German Embassy in Cambodia, said “Germany has situated gender equality and women’s empowerment at the center of our bilateral and

sectoral policy dialogue with the Royal Government of Cambodia. Between 2011 and 2013, more than 2,500 women and girls survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence and trafficking, as well as more than 800 children of them, received basic services through a Fund led by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and implemented by six NGOs.”

The Guidelines for Legal Protection of Women’s and Children’s Rights in Cambodia have been developed under the framework of the Access to Justice for Women project, jointly implemented by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and GIZ with funds from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and –between 2010 and 2013- with co-funding from the Spanish Agency for International Development and Cooperation (AECID).

Other achievements of the Access to Justice for Women project in the last three years included police and legal training for the 137 Judicial Police Agents of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs as well as the integration of good practices for behavioural change to promote gender equality amongst young people in school curricula for 127 lower-secondary schools.

For the Guideline in Khmer, please click here

For the Guideline in English, please click here

 Further information: Dr. Dagmar Maria Baer, Program Manager, Access to Justice for Women project, GIZ [Tel: + 855 23722298; ]