Becoming and being academic women in Cambodia: Cultural and other understandings

Abstract

Cambodia's higher education is under development. This is the first study of the role of women teaching in a university in Cambodia. There has been many studies of academic women in western countries and these guided the 16 interviews in Khmer that were carried out by young female researchers, translated by them and then analysed with the assistance of NVivo. Becoming an academic for many Cambodian women meant support from their parents and others close to them. Receipt of an international scholarship may have been critical. Perhaps the most important issue for these academic women was the need to balance demands on their time. Teaching hours could be negotiated, potentially at least, but only where the student numbers warranted it. An affirmative action approach appears to have developed at one of the two universities. Areas for future research are identified.