The Good Men Campaign Transforms Gender Norms and Perceptions of Violence against Women in Cambodia

In Cambodia, gender norms remain heavily rooted in society, creating inequality between men and women and depriving women of their basic rights. While violence against women is considered immoral and unacceptable in Cambodian culture, domestic violence is considered to be justifiable in this society. Nearly 60 per cent of men believe that women should tolerate domestic violence to keep her family together and 28 per cent believe that there are occasions where a woman deserves to be beaten.

The "Good Men Campaign" is a 5-year national social behavioural change campaign that was launched in 2011. Its primary goal was to challenge gender norms and encourage the 3.5 million men and boys aged 15 to 49 to change their attitudes and behavior towards women.