.png)
Future Forum's junior research fellow, Theang Soriya was published in Cambodianess on August 7, 2024. Check out the original article HERE, and read it below!
In the quiet village of Trapaing Kralanh, nestled in the heart of Kampong Speu province, resides Kang Somaly, a devoted mother of two. At 29 years old, Kang's days are filled with caring for her 7-year-old attending primary school, her four-month-old baby, and her 66-year-old mother.
Without childcare options in her village or nearby, Kang had to decide to leave her job as a garment worker, once a source of vital income for her family. With her husband's earnings as a driver now the sole financial lifeline, Kang faces the daunting challenge of making ends meet on a monthly income of around 800,000 Riel or $200.
Kang's story is one of the many cases where Cambodian working mothers are forced to leave the workforce once they have children and cannot access and afford childcare.
According to the International Finance Corporation, inadequate childcare options can lead to increased turnover and absenteeism as well as reduced job satisfaction and productivity among employees. The absence of childcare can significantly impact parents' decisions regarding employment, particularly affecting Cambodian women, who are known to be responsible for a disproportionate amount of this work compared with Cambodian men.
The lack of readily available childcare options, with geography playing a significant role in exacerbating this challenge. This not only forces many women to exit the workforce but perpetuates societal penalties associated with motherhood, but it also triggers a ripple effect that extends to the elderly population.
Geographical Barriers
Geographical factors play a significant role in shaping the accessibility of childcare services, particularly in more suburban and rural areas.
According to a World Vision report, one of the most prominent challenges stems from the considerable distances between suburban and rural villages and childcare centers. Unlike urban areas with clustered childcare facilities, suburban and rural communities often lack nearby services due to their dispersed nature, creating significant barriers for families seeking childcare options.
Mothers, for example, who work in suburban and rural garment factories—many of which are located along highways close to provincial centers—find it challenging to take their kids to childcare facilities concentrated in provincial capitals—if they can afford one. According to the Tackling Childcare report, this geographical separation can span up to 15 kilometers.
This leaves working mothers with two options: paying extra for transportation provided by the centers or schools, which costs between 20,000 Riel or $5 and 40,000 Riel or $10 per month, or dropping their children off at the centers as early as 6:30 am to ensure they arrive punctually.
If childcare facilities are available within the garment factory, the considerable distances between the villages where women live and the factories also pose a challenge.
In Kampong Tralach, most mothers are more likely to work overtime since the van/truck transports don't operate at the usual finishing time, and it takes them over 30 minutes to travel by vehicle each way. As a result, the mothers need to make use of the facilities.
The reasons cited included the long distance and difficulty securing transportation. Additionally, there was reluctance to transport young babies to and from the factory twice daily in temperatures that could reach 40 degrees Celsius.
As such, children are frequently left in the care of grandparents who live far from the factory, while the mothers send money home each month. Punh Pomh, a 35-year-old working at Anful Factory in Kampong Speu, has her daughter living with her mother in Kampong Thom. She shared, “Every month when I visit my daughter or my mother, I don't want to go back to the factory,” adding, “But if I don't work at the factory, I can't support them financially.”
Spillover Effect on the Elderly
Without accessible childcare options, the burden of caring for children often falls disproportionately on elderly grandparents, namely grandmothers, when the parents have to leave for work.
A 71-year-old grandma, Sok Kim, has to look after eight grandchildren from 1 to 6 years old, while her four children work at garment factories. Grandma Kim told the World Bank that, “[E]very afternoon I see my grandchildren playing on the road or at the neighbors' houses, and I shout at them to come inside. Then I close the gate, as I'm afraid cattle will run over them.” She continued, “It's hard work, and I can't take good care of them.”
This increased caregiving responsibility can take a toll on the elderly population's physical and emotional well-being as they navigate childcare demands alongside their aging-related concerns.
For instance, 62-year-old grandma Chhai Leng, living in Kampong Speu province, always gets up at 4:00 a.m. to make sure breakfast is ready for her five grandchildren when their mothers, Chhai’s daughters, work at garment factories. Granma Leng spends between 14 and 15 hours a day caring for her five grandchildren, leaving her little time to do other things.
Granma Leng shared her concerns: “I don't want to take this burden. It is a very hard job.” She continued, “But if I don't help my children, who else is going to help them? I really want to have some time to relax.”
These heartfelt stories from grandmas reveal that relying on elderly grandparents as primary caregivers may also hinder their ability to engage in social activities, pursue personal interests, or seek necessary medical care.
Mobile Childcare Units
Cambodia is not the only country experiencing these pressing issues; other countries have begun experimenting with mobile childcare units as a promising solution. In the West African nation of Burkina Faso, mobile childcare units have been established as a movable solution to offer a secure environment for children while their mothers work.
These units accompany working mothers who move from one workplace to another. They typically comprise spacious tents donated by UNICEF, basic furnishings, toys, books, and food supplies. All necessary materials are packaged, loaded onto a trailer, and transported between sites using a three-wheeled vehicle.
Minata Dianda, a young mother whose child is in one of these daycare centers, told the World Bank that “knowing that our children are in a safe place gives us peace of mind while we work.”
In Cambodia, mobile childcare units, operated by private companies in partnership with the government, could be tailored to serve low-income families in which both parents work outside of the home in suburban and rural communities, like Kang Somaly’s and Punh Pomh’s, who depend on elderly grandparents for the child caring responsibilities.
Not only do the units help ease the burdens of such responsibilities for older adults, like grandma Sok Kim and Chhai Leng, so that they can have some time for rest and medical checkups, but it is also cost-effective and time-efficient for dual-income parents to leave their children in the care of such units available right at their village when grandparents aren't there to help.
Before establishing mobile childcare units, a thorough needs assessment should be conducted, which involves meticulous research into the demographics, population density, and existing childcare infrastructure within each targeted rural area.
To reduce the cost of childcare services, private companies could establish partnerships with local schools, community centers, and healthcare facilities to maximize resource utilization and foster integrated services. Regular community events, workshops, and parent-teacher meetings would cultivate a sense of belonging and collaboration among families, staff members, and the broader community, as well as share information about the units' scheduling.
All in all, it is crucial to unite in championing this vital cause to ensure that every mother can pursue her dreams and every child and elder receives the care and love they deserve, regardless of where they call home.
Comments