But Yi Loeum’s community was not always as supportive. Her parents also saw demining as a dangerous job, unfit for women.

She still persevered as she saw in this job an opportunity to prove herself more than capable of the work, and that dangers of demining can be avoided if proper trainings are taken. Yi Loeum believes that gender stereotypes act as barriers for women’s employment, and especially for those who also aim to serve their community.

“Women like Yi Loeum are at the forefront of creating a mine free Cambodia,” says Edwin Faigmane, UNDP Mine Action Specialist. “However, most people are not aware that women take part in one of the most dangerous sectors present in several parts of the world”.

Her courage and perseverance have enabled Yi Loeum to show confidence in herself and she has become an inspiration to others around her.

“I appreciate the great support I now have from the community. The way they perceive women deminers has completely changed. Now, they see the benefits and would like to join the profession as well,” she adds.

Building an inclusive and accepting working environment is another key component to opening opportunities for women in unconventional sectors.

“I don’t believe that women are unfit for demining. Yi Loeum is one of our most outstanding deminers in the field, and she works hard and has a goal to help save our community. This inspired me to do better in my job. This unit is like a family and we all welcome each other [new comers]. I am also learning from Yi Loeum because she has more experience than I have”, shared one of Yi Loeum’s male colleagues.

Benefits of equality

Women in demining not only help their country recover from decades of warfare, they also improve their earning potential.

The hazardous nature of the job equates to higher income opportunities. In fact, Yi Loeum could support her family. She built a new house for her parents with her earnings and supported four of her six younger sisters with their education.

Personal growth – the ultimate wealth of knowledge gained and increased capacity from trainings were most beneficial for Yi Loeum.

Women have become better acknowledged in the workforce, gradually breaking down the mainstream perception that women are unfit for certain jobs. As a society, we must encourage people to go beyond stereotypes because everyone can contribute in their own way regardless of gender. We need to foster an environment where all individuals feel included, safe and respected. It’s time to break barriers and end gender stereotypes in workplaces.

(1) One of UNDP’s partners, Halo Trust, has strongly supported gender equality by ensuring an equal number of women and men deminers are involved in its operations in Cambodia.

Words: Johanna Legarta is an Outreach and Communications Officer for the Clearing for Results – Mine Action for Human Development (CfR - MafHD project of UNDP Cambodia)