AKP Phnom Penh, December 02, 2025 --

Cambodia and Australia have pledged stronger bilateral cooperation to combat the rapid rise of technology-facilitated violence against women and girls, which both countries described as a dangerous new frontier in gender-based violence.

The commitment emerged from a high-level meeting on Dec. 1 between H.E. Dr. Ing Kantha Phavi, Cambodia’s Minister of Women’s Affairs, and H.E. Ms. Michelle O’Byrne, Australia’s Ambassador for Gender Equality, held at the ministry headquarters in Phnom Penh.

The two senior officials exchanged policy experiences and best practices on advancing gender equality, with particular emphasis on preventing online and technology-enabled abuse, women’s economic empowerment, and implementation of the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda.

“Digital platforms are increasingly being weaponised to harass, intimidate and abuse women and girls,” the minister and ambassador said in a joint statement following the talks. “This evolving threat demands urgent, coordinated action across borders and sectors.”

Minister Ing Kantha Phavi highlighted Cambodia’s significant progress in reducing overall gender-based violence, with prevalence dropping from 29 percent in 2014 to 21 percent in 2022, according to national surveys. She credited the gains to multi-sectoral coordination, expanded legal protections, specialised training for judicial police, integrated support services, and vocational programmes for survivors.

The minister also stressed ongoing initiatives to foster inter-generational dialogue within families and communities as a preventive measure.

On the regional stage, Cambodia is playing a leading role in the WPS agenda, including co-developing a Regional Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, a regional toolkit with localisation guidelines, and the recent launch of a national WPS situation analysis report. A full National Action Plan is scheduled for adoption in 2026.

Ambassador O’Byrne praised Cambodia’s achievements and reiterated Australia’s deep concern over the global surge in technology-facilitated abuse. She outlined Canberra’s domestic policy responses and expressed strong support for joint initiatives with Phnom Penh to address the challenge.

Both sides concluded the meeting by reaffirming their commitment to sustained collaboration in tackling all forms of violence against women and girls, particularly in the digital sphere, and to advancing gender equality in an increasingly connected world.

By K. Rithy Reak