ILO (International Labour Organization) has the following three entrepreneurship supporting programmes going on in Cambodia at the moment.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Creative Industries Support Programme (CISP)
Cambodia, October 2008 - September 2011 (3-year programme)
Subjects: livelihoods, small enterprises, gender equality, indigenous and tribal peoples
- Aims
Programme aims for promotion of small enterprise development, livelihood opportunities for indigenous people, gender equality and cultural preservation. It aims to empower local communities to preserve and promote their cultural products by building entrepreneurial capacities and market development and to promote and preserve Cambodia’s indigenous cultural industries through the development of entrepreneurial capacities, with a special focus on indigenous women. At the end of the programme, the programme is expected to have built local capacities, designed and implemented policies and programmes to realize the economic and social potential of the cultural sector with a view to preserving traditions and encouraging creativity.
- Problems to fight against:
The weaknesses in the institutional support and regulation mechanisms charged with preservation and development of Cambodian traditional art and cultural heritage assets bears adversely upon the effectiveness and competitiveness of the sector to play an active role in the country economic growth and development. Another critical constraint to the development of the creative industries is the lack of human capital and weak implementation of existing legal frameworks. Producers have limited access to Business Development Services and technology while they also face considerable challenges in marketing their products. Furthermore the target provinces are difficult to access, have low levels of economic activity and very poor infrastructure, while the global economic downturn has led to reduced incomes for those dependent upon tourism. Special challenges relating to working with indigenous peoples in agriculturally dominated economies have also significantly guided project strategies.
- Strategy
- National capacity to design, implement and monitor policies will be enhanced and programmes to realize the social and economic potential of the cultural sector will be developed (UNESCO);
- Mentorship programme established to support artists and producers in strategic locations to refine their products/ services (UNESCO);
- Fair and effective marketing networks established by groups and associations of artists and producers including ethnic/ indigenous minorities (ILO and FAO);
- Improved business development service delivery to cultural entrepreneurs by member-based organizations and business development service providers (ILO);
- Effective and streamlined implementation of trade legislation and export procedures for promising cultural products/services (UNDP);
- Integrated competitiveness strategies developed for promising cultural products and services (UNDP);
- Infrastructure created to promote cultural products and services through certification and quality control.(UNDP); and
- Linkages between national living heritages/ arts and their contribution to livelihood understood and used for product/ services promotion (UNDP).
The project is a concerted effort by UNESCO, ILO, FAO and UNDP. Implemented within the framework of the ILO Decent Work Country Programme, CISP is a Millennium Development Goals Achievement Fund (MDG-F) project financed by the Government of Spain. Several Ministries actively collaborate with the project, including: the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Commerce.
- Reference
http://bravo.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/projects/lang--en/WCMS_123428/index.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Promoting Women’s Entrepreneurship Development and Gender Equality, Phase III
Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Viet Nam
Subjects: promotion of employment, discrimination, gender equality
- Problems to fight against
Women entrepreneurs face gender-based barriers to starting and growing their businesses including discriminatory property, matrimonial and inheritance laws and/or cultural practices, limited mobility, voice and representation, and an unequal share of family and household responsibilities. These factors, combined with social exclusion based on sex mean that women entrepreneurs are in a less favourable position compared to men when it comes to accessing for example commercial credit from formal financial service providers, more lucrative markets, rather than the traditional local markets, technology and information to establish and grow their businesses, national incentives in small enterprise development through gender blind private sector development and fiscal policies and legislation and training and education for small enterprise development.
Women entrepreneurs are, however, not a homogenous group. Often treated as such, groups of women entrepreneurs with less power and voice are often overlooked in small enterprise development initiatives. Women entrepreneurs operating micro and small businesses in the informal economy make a strong contribution to the economic well-being of the family and communities. As they remain outside the scope of SME development policies and programmes, their changes of developing lucrative businesses remain slim.
- Aims & Strategy
Responding to these challenges, the WEDGE project follows a development and rights-based approach which aims to satisfy the practical needs of women entrepreneurs, to remove the socio-cultural, legal and political barriers for women entrepreneurship and to advocate for an enabling environment for business development and gender equality. This is being done through a three-pronged strategy aiming to:
- Create an enabling environment for women’s entrepreneurship development and gender equality,
- Build the institutional capacity of agencies involved in women’s entrepreneurship development and gender equality, and
- Develop tools and support services for women entrepreneurs.
- Financing
Implemented within the framework of the ILO Decent Work Country Programme, in Asia, the WEDGE project is operational in Cambodia (since 2005), Lao PDR (since 2002) and Viet Nam (since 2009). It forms part of the global WEDGE programme, which is supported by the ILO-Irish Aid Partnership Programme. Partners: Enterprice Asia, etc.
- Reference
http://www.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/projects/lang--en/WCMS_099683/index.htm
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Support to Indigenous Peoples Project in Cambodia
Cambodia
Subjects: indigenous and tribal peoples
- Aims
The ILO has long been engaged in protecting indigenous and tribal peoples’ rights. This has involved two complementary approaches:
1. Standard setting
2. Technical assistance
ILO has been concerned about the issue since 1920's. This project helps involve indigenous peoples in issues related to their rights and livelihoods. Since May 2005, with its approaches and mandate based on the principles of Convention No. 169, the ILO-ITP in Cambodia is promoting participation and consultation of indigenous community in making any decision affecting them with the aim to reduce poverty in a way that respects their culture, distinct way of life, tradition and customs. Protection is still the main objective but it is based on respect for indigenous and tribal peoples’ culture, their distinct ways of life, their traditions and customs. It is also based on belief that indigenous and tribal peoples have rights to continue to exist with their own identities and the right to determine their own way and pace of development. The project is working in 3 provinces with high population of indigenous people, i.e Ratanakiri, Mondulkiri and Preah Vihear.
- Strategy
1. Capacity building on indigenous issues and their rights to indigenous organization, NGOs staff, government officials and other interested on various subjects relevant to indigenous issues and rights
2. Assistance on indigenous community registration as legal entity for collective land ownership. This is to contribute to safeguard traditional land and community management in conformity with national legislations and international standards.
- Financing
Danish Agency for International Development (DANIDA) and ILO-PRO 169 Geneva, Switzerland
Reference:
http://bravo.ilo.org/asia/whatwedo/projects/lang--en/WCMS_099760/index.htm
No comments:
Post a Comment