Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - 'Entertainment' sector exacts mental toll on its workers

'Entertainment' sector exacts mental toll on its workers

A beer promotion worker carries drinks through a Phnom Penh restaurant yesterday evening.
A beer promotion worker carries drinks through a Phnom Penh restaurant yesterday evening. Heng Chivoan

'Entertainment' sector exacts mental toll on its workers

Nearly one in five of the Kingdom’s female “entertainment workers” reported having considered suicide while almost one in 10 actually attempted to take their own lives in the three months prior to being interviewed for a study published this week.

Entertainment work is a broad church, with workers including women “in different entertainment venues, such as karaoke bars, restaurants, bars, nightclubs”, said Dr Siyan Yi, who led the team behind the study.

The industry swelled in 2008 when many of the country’s brothels were closed down by a change of legislation, Yi explained. Today, while much of Cambodia’s sex work takes place informally in bars and clubs, not everyone working in the entertainment industry is a sex worker.

Of the 657 entertainment workers Yi’s team spoke to in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, just 124 reported having sex in exchange for money or gifts; 21 reported clients asking not to use a condom; 118 had induced abortions; and 149 had been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted infection.

The study found a correlation between women feeling at greater risk of HIV and higher levels of psychological distress, and said that existing evidence “suggests there is likely a bi-directional relationship between poor mental health and sex work”.

Kim Sophal*, 46, is an outreach worker with the SMARTgirl program, which provides support and education to entertainment workers. She believes the high levels of suicidal ideation among them could be attributed to women being raped by their clients or not having enough money to support their families. Yi’s study found the average monthly income of the women to be $220.

However, working in the entertainment industry carries stressors beyond the world of unregulated sex work.

One hundred and seventy of the women said they were forced to drink at work, while, on average, those surveyed reported getting drunk 18.7 days a month.

Keo Tha, 50, has worked in the entertainment sector for the past 20 years; first offering sexual massages, she now reserves erotic services for a select few customers.

“Sometimes I want to kill myself because of work pressure,” she said. “But I think from time to time, if I die, who will care for my children and parents?”

Family issues figured high in Yi’s research. More than a quarter of those surveyed reported having been physically or verbally abused as children, with 19.5 per cent having been touched sexually. But 85.5 per cent reported having had someone who took care of and protected them, while 90.3 per cent said someone in their family had made them feel loved.

“Many things have been done so far in terms of workplace interventions,” said Yi (Tha and Sophal agreed that entertainment is a far better field to work in than it once was).

“But it could be a good idea to do something to improve the situation, protecting [entertainment workers] from being forced to drink, providing something for counselling or doing something to protect their rights,” she added.

* Name changed to protect identity.

MOST VIEWED

  • Bareknuckle champion wants Kun Khmer fighter

    Dave Leduc, who is the current openweight Lethwei boxing champion in Myanmar, has announced that he will travel to Cambodia this year to challenge SEA Games gold medallist Prum Samnang any time that is convenient, after their planned match later this month in Slovakia was

  • Struggling Battambang artist dreams of staging full-scale gallery exhibition

    Leav Kimchhoth, a 55-year-old artist from Battambang province, is a familiar face to locals and tourists alike on the streets of the riverside in Phnom Penh. The one-armed painter and illustrator often hawks his work near the night market on weekends and public holidays. He

  • Five-year-old Hanuman dances his way into hearts of Cambodia

    A young talent from a new-established settlement has emerged, captivating the online world with his mesmerising performances of the traditional Cambodian monkey dance. Roeun Kakada is a five-year-old prodigy who has taken the social media sphere by storm with his exceptional dance skills and dedication

  • Fresh Covid warnings as Thai hospital fills

    A senior health official reminds the public to remain vigilant, as neighbouring countries experience an increase in Covid-19 cases, with the latest surge appearing to be a result of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant. Or Vandine, secretary of state and spokeswoman for the Ministry of Health,

  • New Law on Taxation comes into effect

    Cambodia has enacted the eagerly-awaited new Law on Taxation, which aims to improve the national tax regime’s compliance with present and future international standards and economic conditions; encourage accountability, effectiveness and transparency in the collection process; and promote investment in the Kingdom. King Norodom

  • PM warns of int’l election interference

    With the national election scheduled to take place in less than two months, Prime Minister Hun Sen has warned foreign nations and their diplomats not to interfere into Cambodia’s domestic affairs. He also hinted that their statements on court verdicts handed down to any