Dimitra Clubs – Promoting gender equality and rural women’s leadership
Rural women participating in Dimitra Clubs in Cambodia are making their voices heard in community meetings, engaging in problem-solving and taking action for the development of their communities. It was only in late 2021 that the first Dimitra Clubs in Asia were set up in the provinces of Banteay Meanchey and Siem Reap in Cambodia. These community-led groups promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), have taken rural women into new experiences given that they now boldly take up leadership roles within their communities.
“For the first time, we are leaders in Boss village. The training organized by FAO gave us knowledge on leadership while the practical process of planning and mobilizing the community for collective actions, even if difficult, gave us self-confidence and the assurance that we truly can be leaders,” says Ms Samy Bot, who is now a leader of the Dimitra Club of Boss village in Siem Reap province.
This was not always the case for Samy and other women in her community. Women play an important role in communities, taking up responsibilities in the home and other productive areas such as agriculture. Their participation and empowerment are critical to local and national development. However, women’s ability to participate fully and make meaningful contributions that are recognized is often hampered by discriminatory norms and practices that are deeply rooted in culture and tradition.
Piloting Dimitra Clubs in Cambodia
FAO piloted Dimitra Clubs in Cambodia with the aim of contributing to closing the gender gap in agriculture by enhancing rural women’s empowerment and strengthening their crucial role in rural development, decision-making, and resilience building, consequently enabling them to become agents of transformative change.
Dimitra Clubs are informal groups of women, men, and young people, who organize themselves to bring about change jointly in their communities. They provide a participatory space where members can meet regularly, discuss the challenges faced in their daily lives, make decisions, and take action to resolve the challenges using their own resources. They also mobilize community members and use existing talents, capacities, and resources for positive change.
In Dimitra Clubs, all members, whatever their gender, age or social standing, have the opportunity to voice their opinions and be heard. The clubs pay special attention to the inclusion of marginalized groups or those whose potential is undervalued, such as women and youth.
The pilot in Cambodia sensitized 1 324 community members on the importance of self-help and collective action. This motivated 1 564 people, around 60 percent of whom were women, to voluntarily register as Dimitra Club members, leading to the formation of 40 clubs which cover 20 villages in the two target provinces. Implementation took place from 30 June 2021 to 30 November 2022 and has led to women being engaged in leadership roles and spearheading collective development actions. In addition, women have built confidence in public speaking and are contributing to local development through sharing of ideas.
“Before joining the Dimitra Clubs, I was very shy. I am gradually increasing my self-confidence to speak up in public. The Dimitra Clubs are giving me the opportunity to grow, learn and to lead,” says Ms Sreyhim Aoun, leader of a Dimitra Club in Ta Pho village, Banteay Meanchey province.”
Promoting collective action for change
Ms Veasna Vat, a Dimitra Club leader in Kok Chan village in Siem Reap province points out that Dimitra Clubs have galvanized her community into collective action while enhancing women’s participation in community decision-making.
“The Dimitra Clubs approach has brought about collective responsibility among the villagers to solve common issues. Even more, they have also served as a learning platform that provides the opportunity for women’s voices to be heard, which empowers them. Thanks for the opportunity to be a member of the clubs. It has deepened my self-confidence and leadership skills,” she says.
Collective action is essential for developing a more just and inclusive community dynamic. Ms Chariya Hot and Ms Phumsen Sor, two women leaders of the Dimitra Club in Ta Vong village, Banteay Meanchey province say:
“The Dimitra Clubs approach provided us with the know-how in planning, identifying common problems, prioritizing them, mobilizing community and financial resources, conducting collective actions, reporting results, conducting self-assessment, presenting achievements, and networking with others. Importantly, it created a space for women to give opinions, to raise their concerns about problems that affected their lives, and to solve them together.”
Within a year of establishment, the Dimitra Club leaders across the 20-targeted villages in both provinces have led and facilitated 66 collective actions to resolve common problems within their areas. These include improving waste management at the household level and in public places, repairing roads, maintaining water reservoirs, constructing temporary wooden bridges, repairing damaged dams and drainage canals, and planting trees.
“What stands out from a self-assessment conducted across the 20 villages is the increased levels of self-confidence among women. The women leaders are now capable in terms of community and financial resource mobilization and facilitation of community meetings. They are also dedicated to the tasks that the community has entrusted to them and are active agents of change within their communities,” says Mr Kosal Oum, Assistant FAO Representative (Programme) and Gender Focal Point.
Not only is women’s empowerment enhanced, but also men are meaningfully engaged as key agents of change in this approach.
“The Dimitra Clubs approach creates a safe environment for both women and men to voice their concerns and take collective actions to solve them. Meaningful participation of men and women is a crucial part of the process. Currently, both women and men deliver commendable community development works in my village," Mr Sarean Phat, Svay Sor, village leader and Dimitra Club member in Banteay Meanchey province.
The Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture, Food Security, and Nutrition Programme in Cambodia
Cambodia is the first country in Asia to embrace the Dimitra Clubs approach, which has brought transformational change in rural communities within the two target provinces. This pilot was implemented within the framework of the sub-programme “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture, Food Security and Nutrition”, which was funded by the Flexible Voluntary Contribution, an FAO-pooled funding tool.
The Dimitra Clubs were implemented in the two provinces in collaboration with the Children and Gender Working Group of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the Ministry of Women’s Affairs. The implementation was technically conducted in partnership with a local non-governmental organization called the Village Support Group, and in close coordination with subnational authorities in the target provinces. Changing behaviours, mind-sets and attitudes of both men and women at household and community levels takes time, but the experience of the Dimitra Clubs in Cambodia has demonstrated that investing in collective action paves the way for these changes to happen.