Vichuta Ly

Deep-Rooted Scar Triggered her PassionVichuta Ly

Cambodia is still grappling with the fallout of the political upheaval dating back to the 1970s which affected every sector and the general population in the country.

Vichuta Ly, who as a teenager fled from the Khmer Rouge regime to Canada with her family, is now fighting with all her might for the rights of women and children. "My country is heavily burdened with domestic violence, human trafficking, sexual exploitation, rape and abuse – based largely on the country’s troubled past" says Vichuta.

Trained as a lawyer, she set up the Legal Support for Children and Women (LSCW) in 2002. For the non-profit, non-political LSCW, the mission is to promote access to justice for all and to protect human rights, including those of migrants. The main objective of LSCW, which focuses on all legal aspects, is to educate those in power and build the capacity of young law graduates to promote the rights of women and children who are abused.

Born in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge regime, and having lost several family members including two siblings during the genocide of the 1970s, Vichuta and her family migrated to Canada in 1979. The genocide left young Vichuta deeply scarred. The trauma only worsened for Vichuta when she read news and heard first-hand accounts of the suffering and the misery of the people back home.

After graduating in law from Canada and a stint at the University College, London, where she got a strong grounding in justice, gender analysis and policy drafting, Vichuta pledged herself to fight for the rights of Cambodians who could not escape the violence, humiliation, abuse and discrimination.

In 1999, 20 years after fleeing Cambodia, Vichuta returned to the country to understand the situation of women and children. What she saw on the ground compelled her to stay back in Cambodia and fight for the rights of women and children. "I am among the lucky few who managed to have a good education and life. It is my duty to help my fellow countrymen," she says.

Encouraged and motivated by friends in the Canadian Embassy in Cambodia, Vichuta traced her roots and set up home in Phnom Penh. In 2001, a chance meeting with Sotheavy Chan, a Judge of the Ministry of Justice, opened her eyes to the huge gap between legal protection afforded to women and children and the situation on the ground. That led to the genesis of LSCW. 

She began LSCW with seven employees with a primary focus to advocate for women's rights and empowering them to voice their concerns. Its vision was a just and open society in which human rights and the dignity of the individuals are respected, within the rule of law. In 2003, the Swedish Government (Swedish Development International Agency; SIDA) came forward with support to train police and local authorities on legal provisions for women and children, followed by funds from the British Government for a research study on gender and trafficking in the Koh Kong Province. The findings of this study formed the basis of LSCW strategy that focused on combating violence against women, including human trafficking.

LSCW today has 44 employees, who work on two major programmes. One, the Legal Aid Programme that provides free legal aid to women and children. It handles over 200 cases a year. Two, the Legal and Safe Migration Programme that focuses on raising awareness on legal rights, particularly of women, children and migrants.  Though based in Phnom Penh, LSCW is active in the Provinces of Kandal, Kampong Cham, Prey Veng, Svay Rieng, Kampong Speu, Takeo, Kampot and Koh Kong.

A part-time lecturer on Gender Studies at the University of Pannasastra, Cambodia, and the team leader of a research project on Perception of Justice for Women Defendants, and Women Victims of Crime in Cambodia of the International Development Research Center (IDRC), Canada, Vichuta has her hands full. 

According to Vichuta, to drive the mission she has set for herself she has to ensure that perpetrators of abuse against women and children are held accountable within the criminal justice system and under the rule of law. She also has to work towards the elimination of trafficking in persons and the exploitation of migrants, and builds the capacity of civil society  in relation to law enforcement, counter-trafficking and safe migration.

LSCW tries to meet its objectives by offering free legal advice, assistance and representation to women and children who are victims of abuse - including domestic violence, sexual exploitation and trafficking; providing pre-departure training on safe migration to potential migrants and delivering training at the provincial levels –on how to support safe migration and how to identify and address trafficking in their communities.

Vichuta realizes that achieving her dream of a free and equitable society is not easy and that it requires a strong support system from national and regional bodies. Thus, LSCW is a member of a number of organizations including the Migrant Forum of Asia (MFA); the Mekong Migrant Network (MMN; the Global Alliance Against Trafficking in Women (GAATW); the UNIAP Stakeholders' Group (Cambodia); and the Coalition to Address Sexual Exploitation of Children in Cambodia (COSECAM).

LSCW has come a long way primarily because of the passion, commitment, focus and untiring efforts of Vichuta Ly. Yet, Vichuta is quick to say, "I have a long way to go before I can say I have accomplished the mission I have set for myself."