Cambodia recognizes women’s leadership as a robust accelerator of green economic development as the country approaches graduation from Least Developed Country status in 2029, seeking higher productivity, diversified growth, and greater uptake of green digitalization. Women are rising beyond perceptions of vulnerability, positioning themselves as champions of climate prosperity and sustainable development. 

Today, women in the country hold 14.6 percent of parliamentary seats, 42 percent of the civil service workforce, and 28 percent of the civil service decision-making bodies. This represents progress in Cambodia’s gender inclusion undertaking. 

For Cambodia, empowering women goes beyond participation. It is about creating more spaces for innovation and leadership. Women comprise more than half of the country’s population, making them crucial to Cambodia’s future economic progress. Women-owned enterprises account for 70% of firms in the country, many of which are classified as microenterprises—the backbone of economies. However, a report by the Asian Development Bank revealed that limited access to information, skills and knowledge gaps, uncertain economic benefits, financial constraints, and owners’ mindsets are key barriers to digital and green adoption in the sector. Recommendations include structural analysis and reinforced policy implementation to address gendered barriers—provisions that Neary Rattanak VI seeks to achieve. 

As a dedicated national gender strategy, Neary Rattanak VI focuses on women in leadership and climate change. It aims to strengthen policy support and innovative programs to promote women’s leadership capacity in schools, communities, and workplaces. The plan encourages national and sub-national investments in boosting women’s productivity by scaling up digital skills and technical capacity, as well as promoting gender-just social cohesion and human capital. 

Neary Rattanak VI also aligns gender and sustainability together, mainstreaming the critical role of women in advancing sustainable development and green industrialization. With the increasing number of women-owned enterprises in the country, their environmental awareness and ecological consciousness are vital to revolutionizing Cambodia’s green economy and industry. 

The country intends to unfold its full economic and social potential by upholding gender equality across all its sectors, creating favorable conditions for Cambodia’s development and prosperity.