CARE Cambodia will be launching two news set of interactive training for the construction sector this week at the Cambodian Construction Industry Expo.
The Construction sector in Cambodia has been rapidly expanding with thousands of new workers taking on construction jobs in Cambodian cities. With the financial support of the European Union and the Austrian Development Agency, CARE Cambodia has developed training to help construction employers gain an understanding of their obligations towards their employees, with a specific focus on women workers. This training targets developers, company owners, human resources representatives, and sub-contractor managers.
To complement this, CARE is also offering training to women workers themselves with a focus on helping them to overcome challenges they may face in the workplace and make the most of opportunities available to them.
To date CARE has trained over 2000 workers and over 100 middle management staff from 57 companies. With the videos, stories and interactive activities included in these new packages, CARE hopes to reach more construction companies and ensure more women workers are valued for their skills.
“We are very excited to be able to showcase these new materials so that employers in the industry can discover the benefits of investing in their female workers,” says Project Manager Kalyan Rath.
“The timing of this launch also coincides with the 16 Days of Activism to End Gender-Based Violence, a global campaign which in Cambodia is led by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. The 2017 theme is ‘Leave no one behind’. By encouraging employers to recognise the value of their women workers, we hope to ensure that women in Cambodia’s construction industry are not left behind but that they can thrive alongside their male colleagues in safe, supportive workplaces.”
Managers from construction companies have seen the value of this work. Following training with CARE, one company’s Assistant Director, Ms. Sambo Chanmithona, said “I think that [the training] changed my ideas about women workers. In fact, women really can do this work well and we have laws to protect them.”
The Cambodia Construction Industry Expo is taking place at the Diamond Island Exhibition and Convention Centre from 30 Nov – 2 Dec.
CARE’s work with women working in construction in Cambodia is funded by the European Union and the Austrian Development Cooperation. This work is in partnership with the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training.
Learn more about CARE’s Female Construction Workers project >