In this strategic plan, the Womyn’s Agenda for Change (WAC) further evolves and matures into a locally run independent NGO. This step is the natural outcome of the past six years of work, which laid the groundwork for this evolution to happen. The WAC program has been operating in Cambodia since inception in late 1999, originally a project of Oxfam Hong Kong. The previous Strategic Plan (2004-2006) saw WAC become an independent but still expatriate managed NGO. Many development challenges exist in Cambodia, notably the realistic addressing of the root causes of poverty through true grassroots empowerment and action. WAC has demonstrated that it is uniquely positioned to be able to undertake activities that challenge development hegemony, educate and assist the grassroots, organise and effect social change. This plan further refines the organisational goals based on our strengths and the challenges that still exist.

Fifteen years of neoliberal policies in Cambodia have failed to yield the promised improvements in the livelihoods for the poor. Instead Cambodia can now claim to be a country with a multitude of appellations such as LDC, LICUS, MDRI recipient, WTO member, PRSP and SEDP owners; the addition of each new acronym serves only to show the ongoing failure of poverty reduction efforts in the country. This multiple categorisation of Cambodia by numerous multilateral agencies both diffuses efforts and demonstrates the inability to identify the correct development approach and priorities for Cambodia. Basing assessments on outdated economic concepts like GDP and the highly mobile ‘poverty line’ has only obscured the fact that poverty in Cambodia is deepening.

Domestically, democratic political stability has resulted in a relatively stable environment where the reconstruction of Cambodia can occur. Pressure placed on the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) by international actors through loan and aid conditionality or through other political and economic means has hampered the emergence of indigenous forms of representative civil society. The impact of conservative policy emanating from the United States has affected the way many agencies working with women on the margins of society can go about their work. The opening up of the economy has also resulted in the preying on these groups by unethical companies wishing to find test subjects for their new products.

So what can WAC offer? A proven track record of assisting small grassroots groups towards achieving change in their lives, groups who are often ignored by development efforts and Cambodian society. WAC has and continues to focus its work on the empowerment of women; sex workers, garment workers, migrants, rural farmers and other marginalised groups. The Speakout! model has been an effective tool where women can gather and publicly rally for change in the things that are most important in their lives; economic independence, tolerance, acceptance, discrimination, rights and understanding.

Education, international network links and assistance with groups of sex workers has resulted in the formation of the first representative sex worker union in Cambodia. Education and the involvement of grass-roots people in determining their aspirations for change and future is the key to WAC’s success. Ongoing research and case study collection has given WAC a depth of rich data from which to analyse the effects of neoliberal policies and their impacts on the livelihoods of grassroots Cambodians.