The Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training, together with key partners, has launched the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” campaign to raise awareness, strengthen efforts to prevent violence and promote measures to respond to harassment and abuse in the workplace, especially in the garment sector.
The opening ceremony, themed “Together for Safety and Respect in the Workplace” was presided over by labour minister Heng Sour at the ministry headquarters on Tuesday, 25 November, with around 430 participants.
According to the ministry, the campaign aims to increase awareness, reinforce efforts to prevent and respond to violence and harassment at work, and highlight the commitment of all stakeholders to creating a culture of safety, dignity and mutual respect in Cambodia’s labour sector — particularly in textile, garment, footwear and travel goods manufacturing.
The minister explained that this year’s theme reflects the ministry’s priority to protect the safety of workers, especially women workers who are more vulnerable to violence and harassment in all forms at the workplace.
The campaign also represents Cambodia’s participation in the UN global 16 Days of Activism, under the theme “UNiTE to End Digital Violence against All Women and Girls”. It aims to intensify dissemination efforts to end workplace violence and motivate stakeholders to take greater responsibility by implementing effective mechanisms to prevent, address and respond to workplace harassment, ensuring transparency, equality, fairness and commitment to creating safe and respectful working environments.
The campaign is being jointly organised by the ministry, the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Better Factories Cambodia (ILO-BFC) program, the Textile, Apparel, Footwear & Travel Goods Association in Cambodia (TAFTAC) and the Cambodia Garment Training Institute (CGTI).
During the launch, Froukje Boele, country program manager of Better Factories Cambodia, expressed her appreciation for the campaign. She noted that the global movement requires participation from all stakeholders to ensure safe workplaces for women and girls.
“Indeed, when workplaces are safe and uphold mutual respect, productivity increases, and businesses grow more successfully,” she said.
The minister encouraged all departments within the ministry to collaborate with employers and worker representatives to organise similar campaigns across the Kingdom to promote respect and combat gender-based violence at work.
Employers, enterprise owners and workers were encouraged to transform the promotion of safety and respect into a practical culture that contributes to preventing violence and harassment while improving workplace health, safety and productivity.
On the same day, ministry spokesperson Sun Mesa urged workers and company staff — especially migrant workers returning from Thailand — to file complaints with the ministry if they encounter inappropriate or abusive language at work so the ministry can take action.
He also called on administrative heads, department heads, line leaders, assistants and supervisors in all factories and enterprises to use polite and respectful language toward workers, especially returning migrant workers, and avoid insults or verbal abuse.
Complaints can be filed with the ministry, directly to the spokesperson, or through the ministry’s anonymous reporting system. Workers may also file complaints through the ministry’s social media channels, the minister’s social media, the spokesperson’s social media or via the always-available QR code. Spokesperson contact numbers: 097 256 4447 / 077 465 289 / 015 465 289.
