Somaly Mam wins Mony Saraphorn medal in Cambodia
Somaly Mam accepts prestigious medal in Cambodia on Anti Human Trafficking Day
On Monday 12 December 2011, Somaly Mam, President of AFESIP Cambodia and the Somaly Mam Foundation, was awarded with the prestigious Mony Saraphorn medal by the Government of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The award was presented during the National Anti-Human Trafficking Day event, the 2011 theme for which was “Together, We Fight Against Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence.”
The 2011 celebration is the third year that the Somaly Mam Foundation has partnered with AFESIP Cambodia and the Cambodian government in this campaign to raise awareness about sex trafficking and domestic violence among the national and international public. We aim to eradicate the crime of sex trafficking and to promote the enforcement of existing national laws, policies, and programs as well as other relevant U.N. conventions that the Cambodian government is a signatory of.
As a crowd of 4,000 students, NGOs, government officials, special guests, and members of the public gathered in Phnom Penh’s Wat Botum Vatey park to mark 2011 event. HE Men Sam On, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Assembly Senate Relations & Inspections,
handed over the award to Ms. Mam in recognition of her extensive work in women’s rights. Special guests in attendance included U.S. actor Susan Sarandon, who gave a very moving speech in support of the abolition of human trafficking, and Ms. Penny Richards, the Australian Ambassador to Cambodia.
The Mony Saraphorn is awarded to citizens whose work has made significant contributions to Cambodian society, and is signed by Prime Minister Hun Sen.
Ms. Mam’s receipt of this honorable medal is indeed an important accolade for AFESIP Cambodia and validation of our work to empower survivors of human trafficking, sexual exploitation and domestic violence. It is equally a meaningful step from the Cambodian Government to recognize and commit to tackling issues of human trafficking and gender-based violence. It is worthy of note that the awarding of this medal to Ms. Mam was initiated by the Minister of Women’s Affairs.
It is with great pride that we congratulates Somaly Mam on this achievement, and with excitement that we look towards our ongoing collaborations with the Cambodian Government to combat trafficking of women and children.
