Breaking Barriers and Stereotypes: Phuong Empowers Women in Technical Education
Published: Mar 5, 2025 Reading time: 3 minutes Share: Share an articleInternational Women’s Day is a time to honour the achievements of women worldwide and recognise their contributions to society. This year, under the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.”, UN Women calls for greater efforts to ensure equal rights, opportunities, and power for women and girls everywhere. At the heart of this vision is the empowerment of young women and adolescent girls, who are not just beneficiaries of change but also the driving force behind it.
As part of this celebration, we are sharing the inspiring journey of our colleague, Korng Samphors Phuong from Cambodia, a dedicated advocate for education and skills development. Her story is one of resilience, passion, and a deep commitment to breaking barriers for women in technical education.
Korng Samphors Phuong, a TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) Project Manager at PIN, has devoted her career to ensuring young people—especially women—have access to quality education and the skills they need to thrive in Cambodia’s evolving job market. With a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a master’s in Development Studies, she has worked across various sectors, from community development and research to employment and skills training.
Her journey at PIN began in 2022. Since then, Phuong has witnessed the transformative power of technical education first-hand. She finds great fulfilment in seeing students—both male and female—eagerly engage in hands-on learning, whether it’s exploring aquaculture farms, participating in soft skills training, or gaining practical experience in fish farming.
Beyond the students, she draws inspiration from the dedicated teachers who continuously strive to enhance their technical expertise. Their commitment to delivering high-quality training and collaborating with industry professionals to improve education energises her work.
Challenging stereotypes
However, despite the progress made, Phuong acknowledges that many women and girls still face significant barriers when it comes to pursuing careers in technical fields. Deeply rooted societal expectations and gender norms often discourage them from enrolling in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programmes or technical trades like aquaculture and mechanics. Through PIN’s TVET initiatives, she has been working to challenge these stereotypes and encourage more young women to follow their passions.
In alignment with the Cambodian government’s commitment to equal education, PIN has launched both online and offline awareness campaigns to help shift mindsets and encourage greater participation from women and girls in technical fields.
For Phuong, empowering young women through education is about more than just acquiring knowledge—it’s about creating a future where women have equal opportunities to thrive, innovate, and lead.
Her journey serves as a powerful reminder that when given the right opportunities, young women can excel in any field—including those traditionally dominated by men. This International Women’s Day, Phuong’s story stands as an inspiration, demonstrating how one woman’s dedication to technical education can create ripples of change, opening doors for countless others to follow.
