(as prepared for delivery)

• Ms. Sopheap Ros, Executive Director of Gender and Development for Cambodia
• Distinguished guests

Good morning.

It's a pleasure to be here today. I want to recognize all of the diligent planning and effort over the last year that the GADC team has invested to bring us to this exciting moment: the start of an innovative new approach to support women's leadership and participation in Cambodia. 

The goals of reducing gender inequality and promoting women's rights have been a priority of USAID and our partners – governments, donors, and civil society – for a long time. But despite the considerable investment so far to advance social justice and gender equality, women continue to be underrepresented in decision making bodies, not only in the private sector, at the local level and in civil society, but in the politics and government as well. The barriers that prevent women from effectively participating in civic life remain an issue for Cambodian women, who are often excluded from the more traditionally male-dominated spheres of political decision-making.

Investing in women's empowerment, promoting full participation in society can unlock transformational human potential. Encouraging and supporting women to participate in all areas of public life is essential for the full advancement and development of any society. Having women participate in decision-making can change societies. It alters perceptions of gender roles. It inspires other women to lead. It encourages girls to believe it's possible to be whoever they want to be. Women bring concerns to the political arena that are often overlooked. Women can mobilize change by bringing new perspectives and fresh ideas to help traditional political actors to establish a positive and balanced approach to addressing society’s problems. 

USAID believes it's important to invest in helping women achieve their full potential. If more women have access to education, employment, markets, businesses, resources, if they are able to lead lives free of violence and discrimination with equal rights and opportunities as leaders, then Cambodian society will be more open, equitable, and inclusive. It is also an important element of Cambodia’s journey to self-reliance.

Cambodia has made a lot of progress in enacting laws and policies that protect women’s rights over the last several years. But there is a lot more to be done. We want to help Cambodia on its journey to advance gender equality through projects like the one GADC is launching today. Through this initiative women and youth will gain access to information about their rights, leadership skills, and knowledge. They will better understand their roles as citizens and their potential as leaders and, we hope, become leaders in their own communities.  In the long term, we hope this project changes not only the individuals it engages, but whole communities.  This project represents a piece of our broader assistance strategy in Cambodia to help women and youth seize the initiative to take a more active role in making decisions that promote more responsive public policy and more accountable government.

The impulse that drives this project and will make it successful is exactly that:  initiative. Let me close with a quote by Sheryl Sandberg, an American technology executive, activist, and author, who said that, "taking initiative pays off. It is hard to visualize someone as a leader if she is always waiting to be told what to do". So let's start by congratulating GADC on the launch of this project  and wish GADC and its three implementing partners success in helping Cambodian women and girls acquire the skills, knowledge and tools to take initiatives and become the leaders of tomorrow.   

Thank you.