Cambodia remains a conservative and patriarchal society, despite taking legal and practical steps toward gender equality.
Every day Roeung Sorphy deftly weaves through the streets of Siem Reap, zigzagging past cars, motorbikes and the occasional stray dog as she shepherds tourists to Cambodia’s famous Angkor Wat temple complex.
But on the road to joining the small number of women tuk-tuk drivers in the country, the 37-year-old has to dodge not only other road users but also a barrage of taunts, misogyny and prejudice.
Cambodia has taken legal and practical steps towards gender equality, but it remains a conservative, patriarchal society. Women are expected to run the home and family rather than seek paid work.
It was tough when Roeung Sorphy, who goes by the nickname Sopy, first took to the streets.
“At first, they looked down on me … They said we women should stay at home and clean dishes,” she said, describing how she was verbally harassed and assaulted when competing for fares.
“But we keep persevering,” she said after she finished cleaning her tuk-tuk, lovingly decorating it with blooming white lotuses.
Reference and Read More : https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/12/20/photos-cambodias-women-tuk-tuk-drivers-fighting-prejudice