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A break from the norm: Cambodian Garment Workers get the tools for change

Lyhai and her classmate discussed the monthly breakdown of how the salary is spent as part of the financial literacy session at the factory. © 2023 Nasa Dip/CARE

Lyhai and her classmate discussed the monthly breakdown of how the salary is spent as part of the financial literacy session at the factory. © 2023 Nasa Dip/CARE

By Dip Nasa, Senior Media and Communication Officer May 30, 2024

A break from the usual packaging duties, Lyhai instead made her way through the factory toward a classroom to join training sessions among her peers.

On the outskirts of Phnom Penh, the factory’s classroom was a lively place, where the laughter of garment workers signaled the start of their daily lessons.

The sessions cover topics such as social protection schemes, gender-based violence prevention, and financial literacy.

Since 2022, CARE Cambodia has been collaborating with factories, unions, local partners, and donors to improve the well-being of garment workers, with a special focus on women and recently those who were significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. During the lesson break, CARE had the opportunity to meet Lyhai to get her thoughts on what she has found important and what lessons are making an impact on her life.

“My name is Lyhai, I’ve been working with this factory for three years now, I’ve had the opportunity to attend these sessions twice already, covering various topics ranging from traffic safety to violence prevention.” During the lesson, Lyhai actively took notes and discussed the monthly breakdown of how her salary is spent as part of the financial literacy session at the factory.

“The most interesting and new subject to me is financial literacy. Previously, I used to spend money without keeping track. I can now categorize needs and wants and this has helped me reduce a lot of spending and spend a lot wiser.”

Lyhai shared. “I have also shared these lessons with my husband, we used to be in a lot of debt, but now we’ve cut down on unnecessary spending and prioritized our family’s needs, particularly those of our two children.”

The pandemic significantly affected the livelihoods of women garment workers, resulting in substantial loss of income, suspension, or unemployment. To combat this, the project collaborated with 18 factory management staff, 40 worker representatives, and around 2,500 community members and 1,500 factory workers were reached fostering a series of behavior changes from peer educators to garment workers. “After Covid-19 it was clear the financial situation for many people became quite challenging” Lyhai explained.

“Since the training, I’ve often discussed the lessons with my coworkers, like the importance of not spending money on food since we all receive lunch provided by the factory – this has helped us change our habits.”

 

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Apart from her duty, Lyhai join the training sessions captured her interests.

“Since the training, I’ve often discussed the lessons with my coworkers, like the importance of not spending money on food since we all receive lunch provided by the factory – this has helped us change our habits.” © 2023 Nasa Dip/CARE

As the training went on, workers watched a short clip explaining gender and harassment. “I have also seen changes when it comes to our understanding of sexual harassment” Lyhai shared.

“Many workers would make jokes on this subject without fully understanding the impact as they just saw it as a joke. This has really cut down, especially among senior staff who used outdated language or traditional beliefs”.

“The factory has also advised workers to speak up and seek support to reconcile any issues if they arise”. She added. For women like Lahai, learning about gender-based violence prevention and financial literacy can play a crucial role in individuals’ lives and workplace dynamics leading to more dignified work. Lyhai is among hundreds of other workers with related stories of change after jumping at the opportunity to gain experience.

In Cambodia, the garment sector continues to play one of the essential roles in economic development, with women making up most of the workforce, building their resilience, knowledge, and skills in this industry is essential to ensure that women are not left behind.  

This project, known as the “Strengthening the Economic Resilience of Female Garment Workers” is part of the Made by Women initiative, aimed to provide essential and sustainable support and tools to support women in making positive changes in their lives.  

 

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