Cambodia’s CSOs co-founded SP4All to promote gender transformative social protection

Social protection in Cambodia encompasses various programmes aimed at reducing poverty and vulnerability, including health insurance, cash transfers, and educational support for all. Despite progress, challenges persist such as limited funding, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and uneven coverage, particularly in rural areas and amongst households with financial difficulties. Enhancing gender transformative social protection systems is crucial for sustainable development and social equity of the Kingdom. This requires continued advocacy, social and policy dialogue, and stronger representation from rights holders. 

Social Protection for All (SP4ALL) was therefore co-founded in June 2022 with 14 member organisations. Ms. Chan Ramy, Director of Youth Resources Development Program, was elected as Chairperson. And the President of Cambodian Food and Service Workers' Federation, Ms. Ou Tep Phalin, was elected as Deputy-Chairperson. Oxfam is entrusted with the responsibility as the Secretariat for a two-year term. 

SP4ALL is inspired to be a CSO-led coalition which actively engaged in the sector of social protection aimed at representing the needs of rights-holders, voicing their demands in policy development, and promoting synergies and collective action for a stronger and inclusive social protection for all. 

SP4ALL, after it was founded two years ago, is now growing in size and public recognition. The coalition is growing from 14 member organisations in 2022 to 20 member organisations in 2024  who represent their Constituents from all sectors, such as persons living with disabilities, Indigenous communities, apparel industry and informal sector workers, small scale farmers, and elderly population groups. The coalition has also participated in the regional and national policy dialogues such as the regional and national workshop between NSSF with local leaders and workers’ representatives across the five Cambodia’s economic corridors. Moreover, the coalition has also advocated for gender transformative social protection systems in Cambodia through the collection and submission of inputs and recommendations to the National Social Protection Council (NSPC), National Social Security Fund (NSSF), and other stakeholders on the draft policy, strategic plan, and social protection national framework. These demonstrate the importance of continued dialogue between Cambodia’s CSOs with Cambodia’s social protection regulators and operators to strengthen inclusiveness and accessibility to social protection benefits for all. 

Speaking at the closing of Annual National Forum between NSSF with Local Leaders and Workers’ Representatives in 2023, Ms. Ramy Chan, Chairperson of SP4ALL, empathised that, “Social dialogue is essential to strengthening gender transformative social protection in Cambodia. The gathering here today is the reflection of this value. The opportunity to share concerns amongst local leaders and workers’ representatives to NSPC, NSSF, Ministry of Health, and other stakeholders will strengthen the feedback loop between state institutions and their Constituents. And we will submit your concern and requests to the government for appropriate policy intervention.”

The leadership of the coalition has also joined capacity building training and learning visits to a number of countries in the region to learn best practices and insights of how social protection has been revolved over the years. Those learning visits included a learning visit to explore Indonesia’s social protection systems funded by the Laudes Foundation. And the exchange visit to Laos funded by Belgium’s government. 

The coalition has been supported by two initiatives: Inclusive National Social Protection Initiatives that Respond to the Needs of Apparel Industry Employees (INSPIRE) funded by the Laudes Foundation. And the Improved Social Protection and Labour Rights for Women Workers in ASEAN’s Agri-food Sector (DGD Programme), funded by Belgium’s government.