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In a recent conversation Kanley Souet-Pich shared that for her, International Women’s Day is about “Empowering every woman in every way.”
Kanley and Thavery Hov, Outreach Workers at CERI, started the Blossoming Young Khmer Women’s Group for that very reason in the Fall of 2019. Focused on Cambodian adult women, the group began with fewer than 10 members and now has over 20. They started the group with open hearts, but unsure of what might emerge. What they discovered is the incredible diversity that exists among Cambodian women in Oakland and the beautiful ways that commonalities and connections are found in a nonjudgemental space where women can share their life stories. The group brings together women ranging in ages from their 30s to 50s; women who were born in the U.S., recently immigrated from Cambodia, and who arrived in Oakland as refugees after the Khmer Rouge genocide; women who identify as mothers, workers, students, queer, and disabled. Every woman is accepted. Some women are learning English while others are learning Khmer, and they teach each other. Members support one another to go to school, take the next steps in their careers, and grow as leaders in their homes and communities.
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