Sister

Being a woman in Cambodia is a difficult balance. The slightest deviating act away from the traditional role for Khmer women, is a radical act. It can be basic things like showing bare shoulders, talk about sex, travel or not being married. Cambodia is ranked no. 112 out of 144 countries in The Global Gender Report 2016. This means that Cambodia is ranked as the second least gender equal country (after Timor-Leste) in Southeast Asia. At the same time 65.3% of the Cambodian population is under 30 years old. But despite their big representation, the young generation are not included in most decision makings. Also the older generation who experienced genocide and war, are many times afraid of change, in fear of Cambodia’s dark history to repeat itself. This means the young generation gets more and more eager to act for change in their own ways. And the young generation of women is not an exception from this. “Sister”(named after the term women use between each other i Cambodia) is a portrait series of the young Khmer women who, whether it is their intention or not, in different ways are bending the old traditions and are shaping new opportunities for their fellow sisters. These are small captures, trying to catch the personalities of the women that right now are changing the Cambodian society from the ground.