France’s ambassador to Cambodia Jacques Pellet giving a speech at the embassy event (top) while some of the women profiled gather for a group photo (bottom left) and photographer Mech Sereyrath stands next to her work (bottom right). Kalle Bergbom
The French embassy in Phnom Penh organised a cocktail party on December 8 to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the French Development Agency (AFD) along with the opening of an exhibition called Women’s Voices.
The event was attended by the embassy staff and AFD Cambodia and Thailand staff members as well as many other members of the French-speaking community and representatives from various development organisations.
AFD was founded by General Charles De Gaulle in December of 1941 while he was in Britain leading the 300,000 “Free French” soldiers who retreated there in order to continue the fight after Germany routed the regular French army and occupied all of France.
AFD was originally a bank and financing institution for the French forces both in Britain and France’s colonial territories that fought on against the Axis powers and – with the help of the other Allied powers – were eventually able to liberate France from Germany in 1944. America’s victory over Japan in 1945 ended its occupation of much of East Asia – including Cambodia and France’s other colonial territories.
Over time, the AFD shifted to its current role as a humanitarian development agency helping in the fight against global inequality and environmental destruction rather than the fight against Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan. At age 80 it is the oldest development institution in the world, supporting over 4,000 projects in 115 countries.
“This evening is to celebrate the anniversary of an ‘old lady’ named AFD – but one that has managed to remain young by transforming over time. The official anniversary was already observed in a ceremony on December 2 in Paris in the presence of Prime Minister Jean Castex and it is also being celebrated throughout the world at all AFD agencies with various events from September through the end of the year,” French ambassador to Cambodia Jacques Pellet said in his opening speech.
AFD’s presence in Cambodia is also rooted in historic events having been created after the Paris Agreements in 1993 with a diverse mandate that has evolved over the past 30 years to meet the challenges of a rapidly growing and changing country.
Working closely with the Cambodian government, AFD has been promoting cooperation on the issues of agriculture, water and energy infrastructure, vocational training, financial governance and culture by building a relationship of trust.
AFD’s decades-long work developing Cambodia through its projects has been possible due to the hard work of the men and women whose efforts have supported and built sustainable projects all over the Kingdom.
Ambassador Pellet remarked that on its 80th anniversary, AFD must look to the future along with its partners and ask itself – what kind of world do we want to build by 2101?
“One thing that is certain is this future will not be built without women. That is why AFD wanted to honour them on the occasion of its 80th anniversary. The exhibition Women’s Voices aims to convey the voices of inspiring Cambodian women involved in AFD-supported projects and highlight their stories, initiatives and challenges,” the ambassador said.
That evening at the embassy, as the attendees wandered the compound’s green lawn of manicured grass sipping cocktails and eating hor d’oeuvres, they were surrounded by large scale portraits of the women featured in the exhibition along with testimonials about their experiences.
The portraits of the women were taken by a young Cambodian photographer named Mech Sereyrath and arranged by the organisation Minor Act and, along with the testimonials, they are meant to capture the determination of the women to break down the barriers and achieve their emancipation.
“Their testimonies show how they are working to change Cambodia on a daily basis so that the Kingdom of tomorrow is one that supports and empowers women,” according to a statement by the organisation.
One of the women featured is Tung Sopheap, the deputy director general of the technical and vocational education and training department. As a high-ranking government official, she is a pioneer for women’s self-empowerment in Cambodia.
“Back when I was still studying only 1.5 per cent of all Cambodian students were female. Now we’ve seen a big increase but I still continue to push for girls and women to break through the barriers that still exist by pursuing whatever they love to do or want to be either in academics or through vocational skills over short or long term courses,” Sopheap tells The Post.
“I encourage the younger generation of women to believe they can do anything because they need to have that willpower in order to succeed. If they are afraid to try then they will let every opportunity pass them by. If you are not confident, how can you achieve things? Find a way forward. There are no jobs that women can’t do. Whatever your dream is, if you want it badly enough then you can definitely achieve it,” she says.
Another woman the exhibition features is Pheng Srey, as a housekeeper who works in the informal economy she has been invisible and ignored by much of society. Informal women workers of all kinds – from housekeepers to street vendors – face some of the most deep-seated gender inequality problems that exist in Cambodia.
“People need to understand the hardships women face doing this work. The discrimination, the anger we face from so many of our bosses. They call us servants and treat us like slaves. They sometimes act like we are from some lower caste and not human beings,” she says.
Fortunately, as a member of the Independent Democratic Informal Economy Association (IDEA), Pheng Srey has an organisation willing to champion the cause on her behalf to help gain the rights she otherwise lacks as a nanny and a housekeeper.
“Being a member of IDEA helps me so much. The training and support I’ve received there has given me the bravery and confidence to demand my rights and advocate for myself. I wish more women like me had this kind of help on their side,” Srey says.
Sereyrath, the photographer behind the portraits, says it was a challenge to work during Covid and it took her about six months to complete the project. She says the process of meeting the women involved and photographing their portraits inspired mixed feelings of both happiness and sadness as she learned about both the triumphs and tragedies in their lives.
“When I got to know their stories, I realised how much some of them have suffered and struggled just because they are women and it’s sad that women are put through so much trouble. At the same time, all of these women showed that they had the strength to overcome difficult circumstances and find success or improve their lives, and that’s inspiring,” she says.
Sereyrath says she hopes the photos she’s taken will help the women’s testimonials be heard in order to help other women who are undergoing the same difficulties they’re speaking out on.
“So I think it’s a blessing to be where I am right now that I can use my career to at least help others who are overlooked. These groups of ladies work in different fields have worked as voices to spread the positivity and a driving force to other women,” she tells The Post.
Ophélie Bourhis, director of AFD Cambodia, says she is delighted to be celebrating AFD’s 80th anniversary by highlighting the fundamental issue of gender equality and proud to be presenting the Women’s Voices exhibition.
“I would like to warmly thank all of the women who agreed to participate in this project. I would like to thank them for speaking out against inequalities and for proposing concrete solutions to improve things.
“I would also like to salute the work of Minor Act, which was able to give life to these portraits and collect these testimonies and present them through the vision of young Khmer artists who were mobilised for the project. We hope that these portraits, messages and initiatives will raise questions and inspire action,” Bourhis says.
Ambassador Pellet says that he believes that the celebration of AFD’s 80th anniversary at the embassy served as a great opportunity to defend and promote equality between women and men.
“This anniversary also provided an excellent opportunity for France to engage in diplomacy based on sustainable development and social justice, which are both necessary to ensuring the prospect of a resolutely better future for everyone,” he says.
The Women’s Voices exhibition will be on display in front of AFD’s offices on St 106 before moving to the French Institute of Cambodia at #218 St 184.
