To continue their influencing journey from a previous Influencing grant, Inclusion of Elderly aims to increase the voices of elderly people who are marginalised and discriminated, particularly elderly women and elderly people with disabilities to access and be prioritised in the government social protection schemes and social services.  This project intends to strengthen the voice and function of Cambodia Ageing Network (CAN) and its grassroots representatives to expand their network including all Voice rightsholder groups.

Another consortium member, Cambodia YMCA, is responsible in support/ strengthening capacities of CAN member in Phnom Penh as they are newly established.

In responding to the principle of “Leave no one behind”, the project encourages other Voice’s grantees to be part of this project to promote the intersectionality among all rightsholder groups to work with or for elderly people, women, people  with disabilities, indigenous people and LGBTI persons. The project covers five provinces: Battambang, Banteay Meanchey, Siem Reap, Kompong Thom, and Phnom Penh.

HelpAge Cambodia succeeded in forming the Cambodian Aging Network (CAN), previously called the Cambodian Older People’s Alliance (COPA) as a vehicle to amplify and ensure that the voices of elderly people, particularly the most marginalised are heard and responded by the government and there is equitable implementation of the SDGs. In 2020, CAN and HAC were recognised and included as core members in the technical working group to review and develop the action plan for National Aging Policy in 2017-2030 by Ministry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (MoSVY).

Older people, especially women and those with disabilities, as well as other vulnerable groups, need necessary access to social protection and social services from the Royal Government to help them avoid vulnerability to other risks in addition to their existing vulnerabilities. Three years of implementation, the “Mainstreaming the Voices of the Older People to gain access to comprehensive coverage of Social Protection and Social Services” Project aims to enhance access to social protection and social services coverage from the Royal Government by promoting the voices and functions of the Cambodian Ageing Network and their representatives at the community level.  

The main activity of this project is to​ empower and enhance the capacity and knowledge about human rights and information about the social protection and social services of the Royal Government among the committee and members of the Cambodian Ageing Network; particular, creating opportunities and spaces for improved participation for representatives of the older people at all levels of discussions and increasing the public outreach about the needs and challenges of the older people.  

A number of research studies have been conducted to further support the existing needs and challenges of older people through community outreach and the organization of an annual national forum for older people. 

As a result, the membership of the Ageing Network has expanded from 5 to 14 Capital and provinces, equivalent to more than 50% of the cities and provinces of the Kingdom of Cambodia, and had more than 30,000 members by 2023. Among them, 83 active local leaders have been trained and received capacity building, especially on Older Citizen Monitoring (OCM), to participate in identifying the problems and needs of older people and include those problems and needs in discussions and meetings at the grassroots level. Through this activity, 46 older citizens’ associations receive commune/Sangkat budgets every year to help the older people in need and support the associations’ activities. At the same time, about 4,110 network members, including older women and older people with disabilities, received equity cards and 2,639 reported access to public health services. Obtaining these supports improves the living conditions of older people at the local level. 

In addition, two representatives of the network’s commission have been included in the technical working group to implement the second phase of the action plan of the National Ageing Policy 2017-2030. This would be an opportunity to bring the voices of the older people from the grassroots to the national decision-makers. 

​“I was excited when I attended big meetings with the government and brought up the issues and needs of our older citizens for them to know. I am very proud of myself now, even though I have retired as a civil servant, I can still do great work for our older citizens.” 

Mrs. Ou Vanda 

Cambodia Ageing Network Director  

An information management system for older citizen associations (http://oldercambodian.info/  has been established and made available to the general public some basic information about the Association to promote greater access to information about older citizens and older citizen associations that are members of the network.  

At the same time, eight older citizen federations which are members of the network were dissolved because they did not have enough capacity to meet and comply with the law on associations and non-governmental organizations after tightened control from the government. The dissolution has partially had a negative impact on the will and participation of federations’ commissions, all of whom had volunteered to serve and bring benefits to the community and the older citizens for many years. However, they remain actively involved with the Ageing Network, maintaining a joint mission of supporting the older people, by further strengthening the Older Citizen Monitoring (OCM) mechanism. This mechanism is seen as an important mechanism that allows representatives of older people to participate in monitoring and reviewing the responses and service delivery by the local authorities by identifying priority issues and determining the approach to referring all those issues to stakeholders.  

This project has taken significant steps to educate and empower older people to seek support for their rights and to improve a supportive environment for access to the coverage of social protection and social services by the Royal Government towards good welfare for the older citizens in Cambodia