Gender-based Violence and Harassment in Cambodia’s Construction and Garment Sectors

Abstract

This thesis investigates the structural and cultural underpinnings of workplace GBVH in Cambodia’s garment and construction industries – two sectors with contrasting gender compositions and levels of global supply chains integration. Using a refined version of Hearn and Parkin’s (2001) three-level framework, this thesis addresses the following research question: How does the organisation of work and workplace culture contribute to the normalisation of workplace GBVH in global and regional supply chains? In answering this question, the study reveals how workplace GBVH is embedded across macro-level institutional structures, meso-level organisational practices, and micro-level interpersonal dynamics. Notably, the research questions the effectiveness of global supply chain governance and voluntary compliance mechanisms, showing that even in sectors with international oversight, such as garment manufacturing, protections against workplace GBVH remain weak without enforcement and accountability. Furthermore, the study pushes back against assumptions that women are safer in female-dominated sectors, revealing that gender composition alone does not mitigate workplace GBVH; rather, it is the intersection of gender with structural and cultural dynamics that shapes women’s experiences. This thesis, ultimately, contributes to a deeper understanding of GBVH at work, offering critical insights for designing more effective, context-sensitive strategies to create truly safe workplaces, particularly for women.