Plan International Cambodia: Stop the “Women Cannot Spin the Cookstove” Perception
During her 7-minute performance, Pheakdey, without saying a word, showed how her character could see the beautiful world she would never experience due to the chains keeping her at the stove and how she was struggling to be freed. Photo: Meng Seavmey
- By Meng Seavmey
- October 8, 2023 3:30 PM
PHNOM PENH – On the International Day of the Girl, Yun Pheakdey played on stage the role of a woman chained to a stove, trying to free herself. Through the performance, she said she wanted to stop the “women cannot spin the cookstove” prejudice—the English-language equivalent being a woman's place is in the kitchen.
Pheakdey was among the young women of Plan International Cambodia who performed on the International Day of the Girl (IDG). Held on Oct. 6, the celebration featured dancers, singers, musicians playing Khmer instruments, and actors. Among them was Pheakdey who appeared with chains around her legs tying her to a stove and trying to free herself.
During her 7-minute performance, Pheakdey, without saying a word, showed how her character could see the beautiful world she would never experience due to the chains keeping her at the stove and how she was struggling to be freed.
Pheakdey was in need of a helping hand to unlock her legs from the two chains and, after a lot of efforts, Pheakdey won the silent battle and, during the performance, freed one of her legs from a chain, and then freed the other with the help of people.
After the performance, Pheakdey said that some people, including women themselves, still think that girls and women are not meant for anything other than doing chores, taking care of family and children, and cooking.
Proving them wrong, Pheakdey said that she has received education and has become the leader of the group performance and an enterprise.
But for girls to play leadership roles in this digital age, public’s support is needed. “[I]n both professional roles and as individuals, we must do our best to support the children of Cambodia, especially girls and young women, to realize their rights and unlock their full potential to make their dreams come true,” said Gwynneth Wong, country director of Plan International Cambodia.
There remain numerous challenges for young women to be in leadership roles in the country, Wong said. Those include being unable to access school and higher education, and early force marriage—caused by lack of knowledge related to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and girls’ rights to make decisions in family planning, social norms, and poverty, she said.
Pheakdey said that, with this performance, she wanted to encourage women to believe in themselves and stop people from holding back young women from becoming leaders in the future.
The Plan International Cambodia is a development and humanitarian organization aiming to promote children’s rights and equality for girls to help young women and girls having a voice, obtaining knowledge, skills, and confidence and reach their full potential.
