Forests and Livelihood Organization (FLO) has been implementing a Forum Syd funded project, called Securing Forest and Land Tenures for Indigenous Communities to support indigenous and non-indigenous people to improve their wellbeing and adaptive capacity to climate change through sustainable forest and land management. Gender has been mainstreamed in the project implementation, which three Gender Groups were established in Thnout, Sre Chis and Rovieng Village in Sre Chis Commune, Sambo District and Kratie Province. The Gender Group initiative aimed to reduce domestic violation, particularly members of the community forestry and indigenous community. The Gender Groups consists of 30 families, whom educated on gender, children rights, men and women rights and their participation in social development. In addition, regular quarterly meeting was conducted, and really issues of any families were discussed and provide the feedbacks to the members for improvement. Incentive was set to provide to those who make significant change in the families.

Among the 30 families, there was one family in Rovieng Village has significantly changed. The husband’s name is Moa Narong, 45 years old, and he is a member of community forestry management committee. His wife’s name is Pu Bovy, 43 years old. They have three children (two daughters and a son). Before, they joined the gender group, the wife and husband were in alcoholic addicted, especially the wife, she drank a lots. It was so difficult to invite her to attend the meeting but there was an encouragement among the group that motivated her to join project activities.

During the community meeting she made annoyed everyone in the meeting as she always in drunk during the meeting. At almost every meeting, the group members always brought her case to discuss at the meeting, and all members tried to encourage her to feel comfortable to share her story to group. The group members also shared their best practices, experiences and advised her to improve their habits. In addition, project staff and group members gave her advices, and also visited their home to educate her to give up her alcohol habit and work harder to generate income. The efforts of the groups have made her to significantly change her attitude by stopped drinking. She said that “I felt embarrassed with other members, and I have to stop drinking alcohol from now on.”
She added, “I have to think about my kids’ future, and working hard to earn money for them to go to school”. The project encouraged her family by supporting, a bike and other stuffs and the members also provide the consultation on her mentality by taking the role model family to share their problem and happiness.