Women Workers Take Center Stage at Oxfam Film Screening
Behind every meal lies the unseen labor of women. In Cambodia’s rice fields, markets, kitchens, and small businesses, women grow, prepare, sell, and serve the food that sustains families and nourishes communities. Yet their contributions often remain invisible marked by long hours, unsafe conditions, unstable incomes, and rights that are too often ignored.
Today, Oxfam hosted a film screening at its office in Phnom Penh, presenting four powerful stories of women leaders in the agri‑food sector. The films featuring street vendors, farmers, entertainment worker and community organizers capturing resilience and the determination of women who are transforming workplaces and communities. Alongside the screenings, portraits and testimonies of women worker leaders were displayed, reminding audiences that these women are not only workers, but also caregivers, organizers, and community builders.
“At my previous workplace, I was expected to take on multiple roles without proper leave. I faced harassment and unfair treatment, yet I felt unable to speak out. That silence taught me why change matters.”
“Speaking up didn’t just change my life, it changed the environment around me. By raising our voice against mistreatment, we created a workplace where safety, respect and dignity are part of the service we provide and receive. Working a beer promoter for almost six years taught me how to best serve others, but trainings on labor rights, sexual harassment and social protection taught me how to stan dup myself.”
“The screening highlights the truth that women are not just sustaining families and communities, they are reshaping Cambodia’s agri‑food sector and driving the push for fairness, dignity, and equality across the region.”
The event is part of the conclusion of Oxfam’s five‑year program Improved Social Protection and Labour Rights for Women Workers in ASEAN’s Agri‑Food Sector launched in 2022, funded by the Government of Belgium. Across Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, the program has supported precarious workers primarily women by advancing labor rights, social protection, and social dialogue. In Cambodia alone, Oxfam and six local partners including Banteay Srei (BS), Coalition of Cambodian Farmers Community Association (CCFC), Cambodian Food and Service Workers Federation (CFSWF), Independent Democracy of Informal Economy Association (IDEA), Cambodian Labour Confederation (CLC), Youth Resource Development Program (YRDP) have reached more than 41,000 women workers, including smallholder farmers, helping them claim their rights and influence policy for greater gender equality.
The program has also built momentum toward more inclusive and resilient labor systems by engaging the private sector to align with international labor standards and working with ASEAN regional bodies to push for a gender‑transformative agenda.
The agri-food sector represents an important share of the informal economy in the ASEAN region. The food system and agri-food sector are considered responsible for a great share of employment mostly in farming activities, processing, packaging, transporting, storing, distributing, and retailing of food products. Women workers, in particular, work in informal, insecure, dangerous and unprotected jobs. They belong to the poorest sections of the population and are often left behind regarding decent work and social protection.
