"Everything We Do is Democracy": Women and Youth in Land Rights Social Mobilization in Cambodia

Abstract

Cambodian/Canadian human rights NGO LICADHO estimates that more than half a million people have been affected by land grabs and land rights issues (LICADHO, 2014). Land conflict in Cambodia is a clear manifestation of structural violence - affected communities are almost exclusively low income and many of them are home to indigenous and ethnic minorities. This article explores the complex interplay of actors, particularly women and youth, in land rights social mobilization (LRSM) in Cambodia, focusing on urban Boeung Kak Lake and rural Areng Valley.  I argue that the disproportionate representation of women and youth in LRSM in Cambodia is both practical as well as strategic. However, despite the role of women and youth and the grassroots and lower levels of mobilization, this movement also appears to be driven and shaped by men and questions remain regarding to what extent LRSM comes from the grassroots.