IOM X Video To Educate Cambodian Women About Forced Marriage To China

PHNOM PENH– Young women from rural areas of Cambodia are being trafficked for forced marriage in China. IOM X today premiered a video aimed at raising awareness of the practice, and encouraging young Cambodian women to seek out information before committing to an arranged marriage abroad.

IOM X is the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s campaign to prevent human trafficking and exploitation.

Arranged marriages in Cambodia are a socially accepted practice, especially in rural areas, and therefore migrating to China with the help of a marriage broker is not seen as unusual. Many of these women voluntarily go to China as they are persuaded that it is as opportunity to make money to send back to their families.

Often these women are under the impression that they can select a husband and can refuse a marriage if they feel uncomfortable. Brokers will also tell women that they will be able to send money home as they can marry a rich man or find employment in China. Although many women migrate to China for marriage and are content with their lives there, some women are being forced to marry men they do not wish to marry. Many women are also not told that they have to legally register their marriage and live in China with proper documentation for as long five years before they can legally work in China.

The reality is usually much different from what these young women have been promised. They often have no choice in who to marry and are essentially sold off. Despite the continuing efforts of Chinese law enforcement to crack down on these practices, there have been many reports of marriage migrants facing sexual exploitation, abuse, being forced to work, having their identification papers taken from them and being denied their basic human rights.

IOM X partnered with the Women’s Media Centre (WMC) to produce “Successful Migration”. WMC is a non-profit media organization that uses media as a vehicle to accomplish gender equality in Cambodia by addressing social, economic, political and legal issues that are related to women.

IOM Cambodia, WMC, the National Committee Combating Trafficking (NCCT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC), UN-ACT, Winrock, Legal Support for Children and Women, and the Cambodian Center for the Protection of Children’s Rightswill hold a series of four live call-in radio shows to raise awareness on the risks of marriage migration to China, smart migration, how to prepare for migration and the challenges that women can face when migrating overseas.

The four call-in radio shows will air live every Thursday from 2:10-3:00pm on Women FM102 starting April 5 until April 26. The shows will be rebroadcast every Monday from 4:10-4:35pm, beginning on April 9 and ending on April 30.

VAYO FM will also broadcast a cut down version of the show on April 17, 18, 20, 21, 22 and 30 starting at 4:10pm.

The video will air on PNN on April 5-6 from 7:50-8:00pm, on MyTV on April 7 from 9:10-9:20am and on CNC on April 8 from 9:00-9:20am.

Additionally WMC will travel to Ta Ong village, Ta Ong commune, ChamkaLeu district of Kampong Cham from April 23-26 to host community screenings of the video.