1.1. Introduction

The Women's Association of Small & Medium Businesses sees an opportunity to be the voice of Cambodian women, to empower and encourage them to be more fully engage in the life of the country.  They have not had their full economic and social rights realized.  Nor have these rights been encouraged and respected by the society at large.  They lack purchasing power and economic independence.  They lack a cohesive voice.  WASMB wants to be the bridge to fill in this gap and to serve as the forum for the collective voice of women in Cambodia, to especially in the economic field.

1.2. Membership in Economic Groupings

  1.2.1  ASEAN

In 1997, Cambodia became a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.  WASMB plans to be fully engaged in the investment and networking opportunities afforded by this social and economic grouping of neighboring countries.

  1.2.2  WTO

In 2004, Cambodia became one of the first least developed countries to join the World Trade Organization.  In anticipation of the increased investment opportunities afforded by this membership, WASMB aims to be a forum of information, resources and solidarity for women, to encourage entrepreneurship. 

1.3 Socio-Economic Conditions

As a consequence of thirty years of internal conflicts and warfare, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries in the world.  Consequently, its population (both male and female) experiences harsh socio-economic realities where 36 percent of its 13.1 million people live below the poverty line of US$.46 to .63 (forty-six to sixty-three cents) per day, and where 85% of the total population live in rural areas.  As the World Bank Report (August 2004) stated, any private sector development strategy must address the lack of institutions (destroyed by warfare) that support productive economic exchange, and human and financial resources.

1.4 The Gender Gap and the Female Factor

In light of Cambodia's poverty, the female population bears the harsher brunt of the darker realities of life.  A social and economic gap exists between the men and the women, where women's rights are not respected and fully realized in society. 

Women contribute significantly to the economy but they are not acknowledged; for example, Cambodia has one of the highest labor force participation rates in the region at 73.5% of women over 15 years of age. [1]  Moreover, research has shown that women contribute more than half of household income and they spend a higher share of their earnings than their male counterpart on the family. [2]