United Sisterhood Alliance

United Sisterhood Alliance comprises of four separate institutions; Workers Information Centre (WIC), Messenger Band, Women’s Network for Unity (WNU), and Social Action for Community and Development.

  • WIC works directly with women garment workers to build networks through provision of drop-in centres which provide information, support services and a community space for garment workers.
  • Messenger Band is a grassroots advocacy group that composes and performs original songs that reflect the current problems and situation faced by the working class and impoverished people of Cambodia.
  • WNU’s mission is to support sex workers to organise and form networks to advocate for greater access to social services, and freedom from violence and discrimination. WNU work towards change by promoting sex workers’ participation in the development of programs, policies and laws related to sex work.
  • Social Action for Community and Development addresses and mitigates the impact of policies and practices contributing to systemic and structural injustice, using research, advocacy and mobilisation of community members including farmers, garment workers, sex workers, young people, and people living with HIV. Their current focus areas are access to social services; access to affordable medicines; and addressing the impact of trade policies on smallholder farmers.

United Sisterhood Alliance AND IWDA

United Sisterhood Alliance is an alliance of four social groups that evolved from an organisation established in 1999, the Womyn’s Agenda for Change (WAC). In 2009 the NGO made a strategic decision to concentrate all resources and expertise into the continued strengthening and development of social and advocacy groups in order to be more effective in addressing the needs of the people in Cambodia as well as realising social development, change and justice. IWDA first partnered with WIC in 2011 – the partnership has now grown to encompass all members of United Sisterhood Alliance.

 

Quick Facts

  • The immediate constituency of United Sisterhood are sex workers, garment workers, organised farmers, landless farmers and indigenous networks, Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender (LGBT) and women’s activists.
  • WIC‘s drop in centres provide a safe space for women workers to come together to build knowledge, confidence and power. The centres also provide access to critical services such as healthcare and training opportunities.
  • WNU’s drop in centres provide a space for sex workers to organise and form networks advocating for greater access to social services.