Background
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs leads Cambodia’s national coordination on the Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda and is advancing preparation of a National Action Plan on WPS. On 4 August 2026, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs held a subnational WPS dissemination and awareness workshop in Kep province led by Secretary of State Koung Sorita, attended by about 47 participants including 38 women.
The workshop targeted subnational stakeholders to strengthen knowledge and participation in the NAP-WPS development process. Participants included ministry leaders and officials, representatives of the Government of Kep provincial administration, staff from relevant provincial departments and institutions, the provincial police headquarters, staff from the Asia Foundation (TAF) as a partner, and representatives of the Ou Krosar Fisheries Community. Workshop objectives were to enhance subnational understanding of the WPS agenda, promote stakeholder engagement and accountability in NAP-WPS development, and share key findings from a situational analysis on WPS priorities, evidence, challenges, and lessons learned.
Scope of Application
The activities described focus on subnational engagement in Kep province and on provincial-level institutions that participated in the workshop. The target audience for the outreach included provincial government officials, sectoral departments, security actors at the provincial level, civil society or community representatives working on gender and community resilience, and development partners engaged in WPS programming.
Key Provisions or Decisions
The event did not promulgate a formal legal instrument but concentrated on preparatory steps for Cambodia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. Key focus areas discussed were: (1) raising awareness of WPS concepts and priorities at the subnational level; (2) promoting stakeholder engagement and commitments to accountability in NAP-WPS development; and (3) reviewing situational-analysis findings that identify evidence-based WPS priorities, implementation challenges, and lessons learned for local planning.
Implications for Investors, Businesses, or Compliance
Strengthening subnational understanding and stakeholder engagement is part of the government-led process to develop a national WPS policy framework. Provincial departments and institutions that participated were positioned as relevant actors in future coordination and accountability measures related to NAP-WPS implementation at the local level; civil-society and community representatives were identified participants in consultation and awareness activities.
Official Source
Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) media release and event posting: https://www.facebook.com/mowa.gov.kh/posts/pfbid0SPreGDf5Hnab8tiWimsPuJxzyZrhhHkbE7CZGErQt9Wa44F9BDWdpA7MQSeMjocpl
