Gender Issues 21. In the past, traditional Khmer culture and religion influenced the extent to which Cambodian women could contribute to and benefit from economic development in Cambodia. However, three decades of conflict have disrupted the traditional balance of power, leaving women with little political power at the same time that protection from domestic and social violence was eroded.
Women can vote and stand for office.
They have the rights to maternity leave, equal pay, property inheritance, divorce, and equal treatment before the law. In practice, these rights do not always materialize. Women suffer from wage and non-wage discrimination in the formal sector, and enjoy lower educational attainment. Women have higher rates of labor force participation than men between the ages of 10 and 19 as a consequence of the family s need for supplementary financial support and lesser importance placed on female education. However, men have higher rates of labor force participation after age 20 and they earn, on average, 50.0 percent more than women.