Last week I was visiting with one of our partner organizations who works in the poorest area of Phnom Penh. They do work with children who suffer with disabilities, they help those infected with and affected by HIV, they have women's programs, child nutrition programs, teen drug rehabilitation and income generation for child headed households. The most amazing part about all of this - it is almost entirely led by Khmer people, not foreigners. I love that!
Anyway, through the course of conversation I learned something interesting about Cambodia. I knew that domestic violence is prevalent. I knew many, many women are beaten by fathers and then husbands. One of the Khmer women said, "we are told that a good wife takes the beating." What?!
She continued speaking and said, "I am trying to change my culture. To encourage men to be good husbands and fathers." Hallelujah!
Were there things we were told in our culture that make a women a good wife, but are actually quite oppressive to her?
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