CEPA- Women Leadership in Fisheries CEPA is one of other local NGOs working in Stung Treng province. CEPA is working to empower community fisheries to protect their fisheries resources. It has solid experience in coordinating the Community Fishery Network in Stung Treng where it has been recognizedthis network is important for representing the Cfis in the whole province, through this experience. The concept of the Cfi network in Stung Treng has been applied in other provinces such as Kratie, Kampong Cham, Takeo and Prey Veng provinces. Moreover, this concept and approach of developing the Cfi network has been integrated into the sub-decree of community fishery development in new chapter (chapter 8; Cfi network Development) Community Fishery Network (CFiN) in Stung Treng is the network representing the 63 community fisheries to bring their voices, concerns and challenges on the water governance, fishery resources to the government through the public platforms or social media platform to improve the accountabilities and transparency to the good governance in the Natural resources management. However, the voice of women through this network is still limited to raise their concerns or issues to the government or policy makers to have proper responses or to make changes in policy compliance and development. It is an approach for negotiating with local and national authorities and connecting with other local and national women network.

Presently, many development projects occur in Stung Treng Province. Those bring both positive and negative effects to communities’ efforts to protect and conserve the fisheries resources. Negatively, hydropower dam, ELC, mining, and other forms of mega land-uses are spreading in the provinces without inclusive consultation. This has brought additional threats to local communities who are depending on accessing to NTFPs, natural resources that serve daily food sources, insecure land uses, and affect other norms or social capitals of IPs and non-IPs communities in the area.

The proposed project is under the thematic area of Fisheries Sector and Water Governance. It aims to build women leadership in Community Fisheries, Community Fishery Network and Women Leadership Network on fishery and water governance. The project will provide the capacity building to women leaders from community level to the national level to be well understood the relevant legal contexts on fishery and water governance, and their roles in making meaningful participation in the decision process of thedevelopment of any project or relevant policy. It will also well connect with other networks within the province, national and international level for sharing, exchange learning and policies influence. The project targets Mekong (Kratie, Stung Treng Provinces), 3S Region (Ratanakiri Province), Tonle Sap and National and Regional Level.

The project will work closely with CFi management committee and CFi networks in Stung Treng and Women Leadership network across the for regions including 3S, Mekong, Tolesap and Coastal. CEPA will work directly with 8 Cfis in Stung Treng including Thmey, Along Kohkang, Koh Sneng, O’svay, Koh kei, Orei, Svay, Kang Daek with total members of 3731/1918F including 60/15F as the CFi management committee. The project will also work with CFi network with 364/104F as members in Stung Treng.

CEPA will also work closely with 18 members representative of Women Leadership Network on Fisheries (WLNF), including 5 women representatives of 64 members from Tonle Sap Lake and 6 women representatives of 45 members from Mekong, 6women representatives of 34 members from 3S and representatives from coastal area.