Cambodia records high female labour participation

The female labour force participation rate in Cambodia is higher than in neighbouring countries but the wage gap between both genders “remains a challenge, representing an enduring barrier for women jobseekers”, writes the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Cambodia in a Facebook post. 

“As Cambodian women are still concentrated in the lowest paying or lower status jobs, it is imperative for the minimum wage to be set at a decent standard in relation to both living costs and median wages,” it said in a report. 

In 2019, employed women represented 41% of the female workforce, as compared to men who accounted for 54% of the male workforce, it highlighted. 

The share of self-employed women is higher than that of men, at 38.8% and 36.8% respectively. In the case of unpaid domestic work, this proportion is higher, at 20.3% and 9.3% respectively. 

Although women remain overrepresented in low-paid and low-skilled jobs, UNDP notes that there have been “small improvements” in their representation of high-skilled occupations. The share of women in managerial roles increased from 0.9% in 2017, to 2% in 2019; in professional roles from 8% to 8.7% respectively, and technician positions from 2% to 3.4% respectively. 

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It further highlighted that marital status is the “most important” determinant of women’s employment., with those who are married 38% less likely to be in paid employment.