Cambodia’s women in parliament fall to 13.6%

Cambodia’s female representation in the National Assembly has dropped to just 13.6 per cent, according to UN Women, placing the country near the bottom of global rankings and sparking concern over barriers keeping women out of politics.

Figures released this year show only 17 of the 125 MPs are women, down from 26 seats in 2023. That decline has pushed Cambodia from 108th to 152nd place worldwide in terms of female parliamentary representation. In the Senate, women hold 19.4 per cent of seats, a slight improvement but still far from parity.

The Minister of Women’s Affairs, Ing Kantha Phavi, acknowledged the fall but argued that the quality of female leadership is improving. She pointed to the historic appointment of a woman as President of the National Assembly, alongside female committee members, as evidence of progress. “Even though the number is decreasing, we see quality is rising,” she told Kiripost.

Kantha Phavi identified three main obstacles: political barriers within parties, the absence of formal quotas, and family responsibilities. She said the ministry would press parties to place more women in senior roles and higher positions on candidate lists. “We will do advocacy with parties because we want to promote women,” she said.

The lack of quotas remains a sticking point. While Cambodia has introduced gender‑inclusive policies in public administration, politics has not followed suit. Only three of the country’s 27 ministries are currently led by women.

Family duties and financial risks also deter many women from entering politics. Kantha Phavi noted that women often prioritise household responsibilities and are reluctant to take on the costs and risks associated with political life. “Political work has a lot of risks, therefore a lot of women don’t want to be involved,” she said.

Despite these challenges, the ministry is working to encourage more young women to pursue leadership roles. Officials argue that diversity and inclusion are vital for sustainable development, pointing to evidence that societies with greater female participation achieve stronger innovation and growth.

The figures underline the scale of the challenge. Out of nearly 40,000 decision‑making roles across national and local government, women hold just over a quarter. Without quotas or stronger party commitments, campaigners warn that female representation in parliament could fall further, leaving Cambodia lagging behind its regional peers.

-2026-05-21