Ministry of Planning Promote Gender Equality

By Sok Lak

Reflecting to the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC)’s decision making which is need to align policies, strategies, and plans with the RGC’s policy and reflecting to the requirement of Ministry of Women affair (MOWA), Ministry of Planning (MOP) is updating the “MOP Gender Mainstreaming Strategic and Action Plan, 2009-2010” to “MOP Gender Mainstreaming Strategic and Action Plan, 2009-2013” and conduct a workshop on April 21 to promote gender equality in Cambodia as well as promote MOP Gender Mainstreaming Strategic and Action Plan.

H.E Chhay Than, Senior Minister of Minister of Planning, said that the implement mainstreaming gender activities into planning and statistics and achieve gender equality in each institute take a part of implementing government’s National Development Strategy Update Rectangular Strategy Phase II and achieve the third goal of the Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs).

He added that the Ministry of Planning Gender Mainstreaming Strategic and Action Plan (MOPGMSP) Update 2009-2013 for Ministry of Planning is the output of the Ministry of Planning’s effort to implement priority strategies and actions. This document is an important tool to promote gender in the planning system and national statistics.

“Cambodia is working toward poverty reduction and addressing human development issues as well as gender equality and women’s rights in all aspects development”

 The MOPGMSP Update, 2009-2013 is a very important framework for all stakeholders involved in the planning system. It does not only reflect the acknowledgement of the necessity to make positive socio-economic and political changes for women, it is also provides the direction and then content for how gender equality is to be achieved in the whole planning system.

Mrs. Hang Lina, Deputy Director General of National Institute of Statistics for Ministry of Planning, said that Planning Department actively promotes gender equality, so it needs for funds to support this work.

She said that 24 provinces and cities in the country need at least take 3 to 5 million dollars to carry out this work.

She highlighted that in promoting gender equality across 24 provinces and cities, Ministry of Planning set up nine topics in these activities such as what is gender, why it is necessary to integrate gender in planning, gender and poverty, women’s right in international agreement, gender needs, gender responsive planning, gender indicators and statistics, gender issues and action plan.

According to report, women official in Ministry of Planning at national has 205 of 741 total staff, which is 27.7%. For women official in Ministry of Planning at Provincials and Capital of planning department and commune of planning office has 199 of 933 total staff, which is 21.3%. In education situation, 108 among 200 women official in Ministry of Planning at national has higher education.

Source: The Southeast Asia Weekly, April 23-31, 2011, Vol 5, Issue 17, Page 5