Research Report: Female Councilor Forums as a capacity building in the decentralization process of Cambodia. A personal view of an unforgettable stay in Cambodia

In 2001, the Royal Government of Cambodia introduced the decentralization reform in Cambodia, with the enactment of the Law on Elections of Commune/Sangkat Councils and the Law on Administration and Management of Communes/Sangkats. Decentralization means that certain rights, responsibilities and resources are transferred from the central level of government to the democratically elected Communes/Sangkats. Decentralization aims to promote democracy and to improve the living conditions of the population. Citizens have the opportunity to influence decisions on local matters and have the right to elect the members of the Commune/Sangkat Council. In February 2002 the first commune council elections were held in all 1,621 com-munes with 11,261 councilors elected. Depending on the size of the commune, between five and eleven members are working on the council. Although the 1993 constitution guarantees equality between men and women and the government is mainstreaming gender across all major policy initiatives, only 8.5% (983) of these elected councilors are female. This shows that women are still under-represented in Cambodian politics. However, tasks for Cambodian commune councilors are to interact in local com-munes affairs and to be agents of the central government. In terms of local commune affairs, female as well as male councilors have the duties to support the development of the Commune/Sangkat and the well-being of its residents. The councils are close to the citizens and therefore in a good position to find out about their needs and interests in order to develop programs that improve the living standards of their people. The work and conditions on the council can be really challenging and councilors daily have to face new problems. Therefore some ca-pacity buildings for councilors are already implemented