(as prepared for delivery)

• Your Excellency,  Huy Han Song, Secretary of State, Ministy of Labor and Vocational Training
• Dr. Ashish Bajracharya, Population Council Country Representative Cambodia
• Ms. Amy Williamson, Marie Stopes International Cambodia Country Representative
• Excellencies, distinguished guests, development partners, ladies and gentlemen.

It is my honor and pleasure to be here today. USAID is pleased to have supported the WorkerHealth project to improve the reproductive health of garment factory workers in Cambodia.

Today’s meeting marks an opportunity to celebrate the project’s successes, acknowledge our challenges and hear directly from the implementers and beneficiaries.

We are happy to see the great partnerships that have been formed during the project with the Royal Government of Cambodia, commercial brands, garment factories, and other key stakeholders in the garment sector, many of whom are here today.

Today, we will discuss the findings of several research activities and an assessment of how the WorkerHealth project provided important family planning and reproductive health services to garment factory workers.

Our main partners and stakeholders will tell us the project’s achievements and – just as important – we will hear directly from garment workers about how this project has improved their lives.

I also want to express USAID’s appreciation for Your Excellency, Dr. Song, and your team’s significant involvement with, commitment to, and support for this project. Through this great partnership, WorkerHealth successfully implemented its activities and delivered concrete results that contributed in a variety of ways.  The contributions include policy, research, and factory interventions all of which play important roles in the improvement of the health of garment factory workers.

We hope that the important relationships that have been built and partnerships that have been formed will continue and will complement the joint efforts between the government, donors, and NGOs to improve the well-being of garment factory workers.

Thank you.