Chea* works in one of Phnom Penh’s many garment factories. Women like Chea work long, hard days stitching clothes. She might have even made the clothes you’re wearing right now.
Like many millions of women across Asia, Chea decided to work in a garment factory because of the promise of a regular income. She shares her earnings with her family back in the village where she grew up.
But 21-year-old Chea faced regular abuse at the factory which made her dread going to work.
“The men at the factory would stare at me and tell me that I was old enough ‘to be eaten’… Walking the small distance from my sewing machine to the toilet used to be very uncomfortable.”
Chea felt angry, but she and her colleagues had no confidence that anything would change if they reported the abuse.
In fact, they were scared that complaining might create more trouble, and they were worried about losing the income that their families rely upon.