A new campaign by local human rights group Licadho to supply sanitary products to incarcerated women has spotlighted the severe lack of basic necessities and support for female prisoners in Cambodia’s overcrowded jails.
The donation drive, launched alongside a global campaign against gender-based violence and branded under the “Early Years Behind Bars” project, advocates for the rights of women and teenage girls in prisons and aims to provide them with free, consistent access to sanitary products.
While the grassroots campaign has been welcomed by prison authorities and other stakeholders, officials argue that conditions are not as harsh as often portrayed. Even so, concerns persist over the severe conditions in the country’s detention facilities, where minors are often housed with adults due to a lack of sufficient juvenile detention centers.
“Due to overcrowded conditions in prisons, sanitary pads are hard to come by for many inmates,” said operations director for Licadho, Am Sam Ath, emphasizing that menstrual health is a human right.
Licadho has partnered with the General Department of Prisons and 19 of 26 prisons housing female inmates to provide them with sanitary products free of charge, helping 2,740 women – including 117 teenage girls , he said.
Chhim Sithar, president of the Labor Rights Supported Union of Khmer Employees of NagaWorld (LRSU) and who was imprisoned for two years on incitement charges after leading a workers’ strike, told CamboJA News that the lack of menstrual products is just one of many challenges women face in prison.
She explained that women in prison must buy their own pads, as they are not provided. The cost inside is higher than retail, making it difficult for many to afford basic menstrual hygiene products.
As a result, inmates often rely on donations to meet their needs each month, Sithar said, adding that those who speak out about the lack of accommodation often face reprisal from guards.
The union leader, released from prison in late September, also pointed to a slew of systemic issues in Cambodian prisons that particularly harm women. These include overcrowding, food and water shortages, insufficient health inspections, and a lack of funding from the Ministry of Interior, which oversees detention facilities, to ensure safety and humane conditions.
Sithar said she has submitted proposals to the relevant authorities to address these conditions, but the responses and solutions have been limited.
While Licadho’s donation drive has been welcomed by officials at the General Department of Prisons, the department’s spokesperson refuted the extent of the harsh conditions in the country’s prisons and for female inmates.
“We cannot draw general conclusions based on single cases,” said the department’s spokesperson Kheang Sonadin, referring to claims made by various rights groups and former prisoners.
Sonadin acknowledged that many prisons are overcrowded, but said it does not negatively impact inmates’ living conditions.
“This overcrowding results from effective law enforcement suppressing various crimes,” he said, denying claims that most prisons face water shortages and noting that remote detention centers with limited access to clean water have dug wells as an alternative.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, Sar Sineth, said the ministry – dedicated solely to promoting gender affairs – lacks the funds to fully support women in prison.
However, the ministry has partnered with the Director-General of Prisons to offer soft skills training. As part of the initiative, sewing machines were provided to help women gain short-term vocational skills, including tailoring and nail cutting.
“Providing soft skills is a good thing. When they leave prison, they can use these skills to work,” she said.
Mao Map, executive director of Klahaan, a local organization advocating for women’s issues, also noted that menstrual health is a human right. Even in prison, women deserve proper health support, she said.
“They may have lost some rights, but women’s health should be guaranteed and adequately provided.”
