In November 2024, I took part in a needs assessment for Cord’s EMPOWER programme, which supports Women Environmental Defenders (WEDs) across the Mekong region. As part of this process, we visited several sites in Cambodia and held focus group discussions and interviews with WEDs, men human rights defenders (MHRDs), powerholders and civil society actors. Seven EMPOWER partners from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and Thailand also responded to a regional survey on key challenges and support needs.
The visit reinforced how vital WEDs’ work is to the protection of natural resources and the promotion of environmental justice. It also confirmed what previous project experience has shown: that while women are already playing critical leadership roles at the local level, structural barriers continue to limit their ability to participate meaningfully in environmental decision-making beyond their immediate communities.
This reflection summarises key insights from those conversations, and what they suggest for future programming.
1. Local leadership is strong, but policy influence remains difficult
EMPOWER has had clear success in supporting WEDs to mobilise at the community level—organising patrols, leading dispute resolution efforts, and petitioning local authorities. Many WEDs described growing confidence in their advocacy skills, and greater engagement in local decision-making spaces.
However, transitioning from local activism to policy influence remains a major challenge. Consultations are often inaccessible, unrepresentative, or lack clear mechanisms for sharing feedback. Indigenous Women, in particular, are frequently excluded or underrepresented. Policies are developed without their input, and in some cases fail to reflect Indigenous identities altogether.
Stronger coordination across Indigenous networks, and sustained legal and policy capacity building, are essential to enable more meaningful engagement at higher levels.
2. Legal knowledge and support remain critical gaps
Many WEDs take on frontline roles in land and resource disputes, yet report feeling unprepared or unsupported when legal threats arise. Some have been fined or faced lawsuits in the course of their advocacy, and shared a perception that legal systems are biased against them and their communities.
While some support exists for issues such as gender-based violence, there is a significant gap in legal assistance for women working in NRM. At the same time, local officials themselves often lack awareness of the legal frameworks they are responsible for enforcing—especially when responsibilities shift between ministries.
WEDs and CSO staff need ongoing legal training and coaching, while local authorities would benefit from support on dispute resolution, legal responsibilities, and NRM frameworks.
3. Economic insecurity remains a major barrier to participation
Across all sites, financial constraints were raised as a key issue. WEDs often prioritise income generation over advocacy, and lack the funds to travel, attend meetings or take time away from household responsibilities.
Participants expressed a strong need for livelihood support, including small-scale livestock, crop production, and irrigation systems, alongside technical training. Many also raised concerns about microfinance loans, which were often accessed without adequate financial literacy or awareness of risks. Some borrowers were forced to sell land to repay debts—highlighting the importance of supporting alternative financial mechanisms like Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
For participation to be sustained, livelihood support must be integrated with climate adaptation strategies and NRM efforts.
4. Relationships with authorities matter, but access to higher levels is limited
WEDs reported growing confidence in engaging with local authorities, particularly at the commune level. Where relationships had been built, collaboration was often effective. However, few WEDs felt able to access provincial or national-level decision-makers without the support of CSOs.
In many cases, government consultations rely on individuals with personal connections to ministries, rather than those best placed to represent Indigenous communities. This contributes to reduced accountability and unrepresentative participation.
CSOs remain essential intermediaries, and further support is needed to build safe spaces for dialogue between WEDs, government, and private sector actors—especially in areas affected by land concessions or mining activity.
5. Youth migration threatens succession planning
Community members raised concerns about losing trained and committed youth to economic migration. Even when youth groups are active, young people are often excluded from higher-level spaces or not seen as experienced enough to contribute.
Targeted youth leadership programmes, mentorship initiatives, and support for sustainable local employment could help retain youth and build the next generation of community leaders.
6. Gender norms and roles continue to constrain women’s participation
WEDs continue to face structural challenges balancing household responsibilities with advocacy work. Many experience opposition from their families, and even when they attend meetings, some lack the confidence to speak up or take on decision-making roles.
Climate-related stress, resource scarcity and conflict have further increased the burden on women. Nevertheless, WEDs are successfully mobilising communities, resolving conflicts, and de-escalating confrontations in ways that are often less likely to lead to violence.
Efforts to support WEDs must include awareness-raising on women’s roles in NRM, inclusion of men in gender-sensitive training, and flexible programming that recognises women’s time and mobility constraints.
7. Networks play a critical role—but need sustained support
Informal networks are essential for solidarity, information sharing, and rapid mobilisation. Signal and Telegram groups were widely cited as trusted platforms for organising and mutual support. However, many provincial and regional platforms are underutilised or dependent on short-term donor funding.
Stronger support for these networks is needed—not just to maintain activity, but to enable joint advocacy, ensure representative consultation, and strengthen civil society engagement at the regional level.
Conclusion
WEDs across the Mekong are playing a central role in defending land, managing natural resources, and advocating for environmental justice. Their work has led to tangible outcomes at the local level—but scaling this influence to national and regional policy-making will require sustained, targeted support.
That includes:
- Continued capacity building
- Sustainable livelihood support linked to climate resilience
- Stronger Indigenous and civil society networks
- Inclusive, transparent consultation processes
- And ongoing efforts to challenge structural gender inequality
As the EMPOWER programme has shown, when WEDs have the tools, support, and platforms to lead, they drive transformative change—not only for their communities, but for natural resource governance across the region.
Lucy Godfrey, January 2025
