These three women from Cambodia, Bangladesh and Vietnam have some of the most inspiring stories to tell, showing that when they have the opportunity women can change the world.
Srey is the first woman to have a job at her local police station in Cambodia.
As a child Srey attended a school which was supported by CARE with our Education for Ethnic Minorities program.The program gives Indigenous children the opportunity to learn in their own language, with the gradual introduction of the national language, Khmer. This has reduced the amount of Indigenous children dropping out of school because they don’t know Khmer.
I’m very proud of my job, and I’m proud to be the first woman to do it. Especially in Indigenous communities, not many women do things like this.
Srey says, “I’m very proud of my job, and I’m proud to be the first woman to do it. Especially in Indigenous communities, not many women do things like this. Before, when there were only male officers, there were hardly any complaints about domestic violence. When women got hit by their husbands they wouldn’t speak out, they weren’t comfortable to tell a man about it. But I encourage them not to keep it quiet, and they tell me.”
“It’s very useful to speak both languages because when the villagers approach me they can speak in their own language with no need to translate … Indigenous women in my community don’t usually have much education which is why I was selected (to be a police officer). People see me and they’re inspired to graduate and get a job.”
Read more about CARE’s Education for Ethnic Minorities program here.
Rima is a quality inspector at a garment factory in Bangladesh. She moved from her small town to a big city in 2019 so that she could start earning an income to send back to her sick father.
Rima recently completed CARE’s Empowering Women Workers in Bangladesh project which aims to increase the number of women garment workers in leadership roles and tackle the barriers that women face to achieve equality in the workplace.
My previous mindset was that women cannot do anything, but that has changed now. Women can play a role at home and in the workplace. Some of the other participants come from very poor families and they didn’t know much. They now know with their two hands, they can do anything.
“I want a higher position. I’d like to be a Senior Quality Inspector. I believe in myself. I want to do the Advanced Training next. The more I learn, the more my brain expands.”
Read more about CARE’s Empowering Women Workers in Bangladesh project here.
Kien is a human weather app! With support from CARE, she is taking the lead in Vietnam to respond to the climate crisis.
Not only does Kien forecast the weather, she also provides advice for farmers on what, when, and how to plant. Her objective is to better prepare her community for extreme weather events.
The government also needs to listen to those who are most affected by climate change and take advantage of our knowledge.
Read more about CARE’s work to tackle climate change here.
Image credits: John Hewat/CARE, Jorja Currington/CARE & laif core/Christian Berg
