Throughout the month of March, Cine-Saturday will be devoted to films about Cambodian women. The sign to start will be given on Friday, March 7, 2008 at 5pm, with an evening of large-screen projections of films produced by the Women's Media Center of Cambodia (WMC).
In 1977, the United Nations declared March 8 as International Women's Day, inviting all countries of the earth to celebrate the rights of women on this date. The significance of the date goes back to the early twentieth century, when women in Europe and the United States demonstrated to demand better work conditions and the right to vote. It commemorates both the successful outcomes of struggles on a wide scale, of demands and debates, and, as well, the silent paths of millions of women around the world. A national holiday in Cambodia, it is the ideal occasion to take note of progress made in promoting the equality of women.
When women of all continents, often divided by national borders as well as ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic differences, unite in order to celebrate their Day, they realize, as they consider times past, that there exists a 90-year-old tradition of struggle for equality, justice, peace, and development.
" In Cambodia, the 8th of March is a national holiday," explains Nuth Leak, a research analyst at the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center. "'We want to make the most of this symbolic day by presenting to the public audiovisual documents that show the past and present realities of Cambodian women. On this occasion, we especially want to make known to the public the work of the Women's Media Center."(1)
Since its creation in 1993, WMC has produced numerous educational programs for television, video, and radio, in order to sensitize Cambodian women and men to a number of issues concerning women's right and human rights: AIDS, human trafficking, domestic violence, poverty, minority rights, elections, and decentralization.
The Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center will be emphasizing International Women's Day by offering, throughout the month of March, special programs devoted to women:
Media Contact: Aurélie Colladon, Communication officer, tel. 012 16 09 713, email: aurelie.colladon [at] bophana.org or Nuth Leak, Research Analyst, tel. 012 988 618, email: leak.nuth [at] bophana.org
Notes:
(1) Friday, March 7 at 5pm, introduction to the Women's Media Center and the screening of a selection of their films.
(2) The complete program of Cine-Saturday for the month of March is available on www.bophana.org