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Mercy Global Concern attends major seminar at UNIFEM
The guest speaker was Minister Kantha Phavi Ing, Minister of Education Cambodia.
The Theme of the seminar was:
‘Strengthening Human Rights and Women's Rights – A Key to Realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)'
H.E. Minister Kantha Phavi Ing
Ministry of Women’s and Veteran’s Affairs, Cambodia
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen, distinguished speakers and guests.
I am very pleased indeed to have been invited to take part in this Conference Strengthening Human Rights and Women's Rights A Key to Realizing the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
The Millennium Development Goals are a key instrument for achieving development aims and objectives. The National MDGS map out the priorities and approaches a country adopts for achieving its' set objectives.
The Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) accepted the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 and submitted its first report in 2001. The Millennium Goals were not yet adapted to Cambodian realities. The next step was to make the
international MDGs relevant to Cambodian context. The Cambodian Government worked on the adaptation throughout 2003. The Ministry of Women's Affairs under support of UNIFEM and UNDP took the opportunity to ensure that the targets and indicators took account of gender issues.
The Cambodian Millennium Development Goals (CMDGs) Report was launched by the Prime Minister in March 2004.
The CMDG Report was innovative in several respects:
- It focused specifically on to the Cambodian context and efforts were made to develop targets and indicators relevant to the local situation.
- An in-depth diagnostic of the country situation was provided.
- Major policies and programs contributing to each CMDG were identified and described.
- Major challenges to achieving the CMDGs were identified and a framework set out to meet the challenges and reach the goals.
- Critical linkages between the CMDGs were outlined and gender was accepted as a cross-cutting issue.
- A roadmap for effective monitoring and evaluation was outlined.
The process to the report was basically divided into two phases: The Council of Social Development conducted initial assessments. With these assessments we gained insights into the underlying problems of Cambodia.
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs in cooperation with UNDP and UNIFEM for example identified Goal 1 on poverty and Goal 6 on HIV/AIDS as our focus. Under Goal 6t we have undertaken a study on interfamilial relations in Cambodian families and the spread of HIV. Specifically this study examined the impact of traditional patriarchal norms that position women in inferior and subservient positions to men in relation to the transmission of HIV within heterosexual married couples.