Press release: Civil society organizations partner to raise national awareness on social protection

The mobile broadband of radio PSAs on cash transfer program for pregnant women and children under 2 and health equity fund at Phat Sandy commune, and Kampong Svay Commune, Kampong Thom province. Photo: FACT

Click HERE to download the press release in Khmer

Oxfam together with six civil society organization and the National Social Protection Council (NSPC) have partnered to organize a nationwide information campaign on social protection with the financial support of GIZ - German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

The campaign, focused on the importance of the Equity Card, the Cash Transfer Program for Pregnant Women and Children under 2, and the Health Equity Fund , is being broadcasted through all possible means: local radio, online news, social media, telegram groups, physical community meetings, etc., to reach out to even the most geographically-isolated individuals. To ensure the inclusion of indigenous groups, radio shows are also available in the local languages Bunong, Krueng, Kui, Tumpon, and Jaria.

The civil society partners in this project includes Cambodia Indigenous People’s Organization (CIPO), Cooperation Committee for Cambodia (CCC), Farmer and Nature Net (FNN), Fisheries Action Coalition Team (FACT), Health Action Coordinating Committee (HACC) and The NGO Forum on Cambodia (NGOF).

According to an assessment conducted by Oxfam, Awareness Levels and Access to Information on social Protection Schemes Among Cambodian Citizens, October 2021, available on Oxfam in Cambodia’s website, important social protection schemes and programs such as the Cash Transfer for Pregnant Women and Children under 2 years old and the Health Equity Fund are not widely known by Cambodian citizens. According to the study, 54% of respondents knew about the above cash transfer program, and 41% about the health equity fund.

“Social protection is an essential tool for the reduction of people’s vulnerability to economic, environmental and social shocks across life-cycle. Social protection has a proven potential to support individuals living in poverty or risking to fall back into poverty”. It is therefore imperative to coordinate multi-stakeholder collaboration to address gaps in knowledge and awareness, said Ms. Sophoan Phean, National Director of Oxfam.

H.E. Dr. Chan Narith, Under-secretary of State of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and Secretary General of the National Social Protection Council said: " It is essential that we raise the public’s awareness on social protection and develop a social protection awareness culture so that we can expand the development of social protection system in Cambodia. We have a responsibility to educate the public towards the benefits that social assistance and social security will bring to citizens and the country alike. Individuals who are well informed about the benefits of social protection will be more proactive in accessing them."

This initiative supports the creation of the National Social Protection Broadcasting Mechanism, a collaboration between the National Social Protection Council (comprised of 11 Ministries), Oxfam and six civil society organizations representing over 700 CSOs and/or community-based organizations.