Across Phnom Penh, women working in the informal sex and entertainment sector face daily risks, including violence, poor health and safety conditions, wage theft, and deep social stigma. Yet within this challenging environment, a powerful movement led by sex workers is growing. With long-term support from Union Aid Abroad–APHEDA, the Association to Support Vulnerable Women (ASVW), also known as the Cambodian Prostitutes Union (CPU), is building solidarity, skills, and confidence so women can claim their rights and live with dignity.
Over the past year, ASVW has focused on strengthening its own foundations so it can better serve its 1,175 members. New staff and child-protection policies have been developed, governance structures improved, and strategic planning undertaken with the direct involvement of sex workers. This organisational strengthening means women are not just recipients of services, but leaders shaping their own future.
Safer work, better health
At the heart of the project are peer educators – sex workers trained to support others in their communities. Since July 2025, six peer educators and ASVW staff have participated in intensive training on community organising, advocacy, leadership and health preparedness to prevent transmission of sexually transmitted infections, tuberculosis and malaria. Equipped with new skills, they conducted 521 home visits, including reaching 186 women who joined ASVW for the first time. Regular outreach in eight target communities ensures information reaches those most isolated. Each month, peer educators meet small groups of workers in restaurants, karaoke venues, and guesthouses. These encounters are often the first time a woman hears that violence and exploitation are not “part of the job” but violations she has the right to challenge.
Unsafe workplaces remain one of the greatest threats to sex workers’ wellbeing. In response, ASVW delivered 13 training sessions on occupational safety and health, reaching 164 members. Women learned how to identify risks, negotiate condom use, and access health and legal services. Peer educators provided consultations to members experiencing domestic violence and referred cases to commune counsellors and human rights organisations. Partnerships with trusted clinics also resulted in referrals for their members to receive medical treatment and counselling in a stigma-free environment.
Changing attitudes
Discrimination continues to push sex workers to the margins. ASVW is confronting this through public advocacy and alliances with other women’s and labour rights organisations. In December 2025, ASVW joined the 16 Days of Activism to End Violence Against Women, helping mobilise 353 members to campaign events demanding respect and protection for women, including an event using art to promote gender equality and reduce stigma. Social media campaigns on Facebook and Telegram reached thousands more with messages about rights, health, and available support.
Equally important is cooperation with local authorities and employers. By sharing information with commune leaders and NGOs, ASVW is building a safer environment where women can seek help without fear. As a result, some restaurant and guesthouse owners now allow health check-ups during work hours and permit peer educators to meet workers on site. Guesthouses also require ID registration to improve safety. These are small but significant steps toward recognising sex workers as part of the community.
Sophea* finds her voice
Sophea is a 42-year-old widow with two sons. Like many rural women, she left her hometown in Battambang province hoping to find work in Phnom Penh. Instead, she was deceived by a broker who pushed her into sex work and withheld her earnings. With little education, no vocational skills, and heavy private debt, Sophea felt she had no options. Poverty and the need to provide for her young children kept her trapped.
In 2021, her life began to change. ASVW’s outreach workers were visiting restaurants and bars in Phnom Penh’s riverside and Wat Phnom areas to share information about rights, health, and support services. Sophea met the team during one of these sessions where she stood out for her willingness to learn and help others. Soon after, she was invited to join ASVW and later became a volunteer peer educator.
Through ASVW she attended literacy classes and other skills courses, where she learned to read and write a little and understand her rights. She began participating in meetings with partner organisations and sharing what she learned with other women in her community. The confidence she gained helped her make important changes in her own life.
Today Sophea runs a small street stall selling everyday goods. The income is modest but stable, and it has allowed her to reduce the time she spends in sex work. Both of her sons are now employed as security guards, contributing to the household. She continues to volunteer with ASVW, visiting other women who are facing the same fears she once carried.
Sophea’s journey shows how practical support, education, and solidarity can transform lives. From exploitation and illiteracy to small-business owner and community leader, she is proof that when sex workers are given respect and opportunity, they can become powerful agents of change.
*Name changed to protect privacy.
A movement with momentum
Despite many challenges, ASVW’s work shows what is possible when sex workers lead. Hundreds of women now have access to accurate health information, referral networks, and a collective voice. ASVW is stronger, more organised, and better connected to national advocacy efforts, including campaigns for the ratification of ILO Convention 190 on violence and harassment at work.
Union Aid Abroad – APHEDA is proud to stand beside ASVW as it builds a future where sex workers are safe, respected, and able to determine their own lives. The journey continues, led by the courage of women like Sophea who are transforming personal resilience into collective power.
