Empowering Women Forest Defenders in Cambodia

Peace Bridges staff have been studying alcohol abuse, emotional pain and trauma, and counseling practices. These issues touch the lives of many people who study peace and conflict resolution with Peace Bridges. In the field, peacebuilders must often address the effects of alcoholism, domestic violence, and trauma in their communities.

Alcohol abuse is closely tied to numerous problems including domestic violence, poverty, traffic accidents, and gender inequality in Cambodia. Cambodian men drink on average 9.7 liters of alcohol, an amount far exceeding Cambodian women. The global average is 6.2 liters of alcohol (Asia Foundation). A UN survey of 2,000 Cambodian men found that 1 in 5 of the respondents had attempted or committed acts of violence against women (UNDP). Though alcohol never makes someone violent, the issues are connected. People often dismiss a man’s violent behavior because of alcohol. Thus Cambodian women not only experience this violence but also the financial consequences of their partner’s overspending on alcohol.

In addition to their own work as peace trainers, the Peace Bridges staff have engaged in many learning opportunities to build their own capacity. In March and April, they studied the Alcoholics Anonymous (AA)/Al-Anon model and trauma healing and plan to integrate AA into their trainings. On April 8, they joined the first professional health counseling conference at University of Puthisastra in Phnom Penh. On April 27, 25 women from various Cambodian institutions met at the PBO office to learn and share about self-care.

These and other opportunities are preparing our staff to better engage in complex social and emotional issues. We hope that by improving our own capacity we can heal our own traumas and better serve the people of Cambodia.