Promoting Women Leadership in Cambodian HE

• The project is part of a broader British Council–SEAMEO RIHED initiative engaging 35 higher education institutions across Southeast Asia to build more gender‑equitable leadership cultures.​

• Key milestones include: participation in the regional launch and leadership forum; collaborative research with Cambodian partner universities; the Battambang workshop; contribution to the GEDI Forum in London; and creation of infographics, briefs and a user‑friendly report.

• Looking ahead, the project aims to deepen institutional partnerships, strengthen “gender ambassador” networks, and link Cambodian experiences to ongoing SEA‑UK GEDI challenge grant activities.​

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The project sheds light on how Cambodian women academics navigate leadership pathways in universities, revealing both persistent barriers and powerful sources of change. ​

Key findings

·        Internalised doubt, but not lack of ability: Many women describe feeling “not ready” for leadership, worrying they cannot make decisions or fearing criticism, even when they have strong qualifications and experience.

·        The double shift as a structural barrier: Women consistently juggle full academic workloads with intensive caregiving, making leadership roles—often linked to long hours, travel and evening meetings—feel like an unsustainable extra burden rather than a natural next step.

·        Informal cultures matter: Male‑dominated networks, late‑night socialising, and linguistic norms that code leaders as male quietly gatekeep access to information, mentoring and decision‑making spaces.Enablers of women’s leadership

• The project has produced short policy briefs and a simple synthesis report designed for busy decision‑makers in universities and ministries, grounded in data from Cambodian higher education institutions.​

• Recommendations focus on practical steps: embedding GEDI in strategic plans, improving data on leadership pipelines, resourcing gender focal points, and aligning HR procedures with gender‑equitable leadership goals.

• The materials also connect Cambodian experience to wider regional commitments under the British Council–SEAMEO RIHED programme on strengthening leadership with gender equity, diversity and inclusivity.​