Cambodia’s Senate President and ruling party leader Hun Sen has announced plans to build a dormitory in Phnom Penh for female students from low income families. The facility will be constructed on two hectares of land owned by his daughter Mrs. Hun Mana.
Speaking on 4 June 2025 to members of Cambodia’s National Council for Women, Mr. Hun Sen said the land, valued at over 10 million US dollars and originally purchased for the construction of Bayon Television’s facilities in Chroy Changvar, will instead be handed over to the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for the development of the new student housing project.
The proposed dormitory is expected to accommodate up to 500 female students from rural provinces who travel to the capital to continue their education. The plan includes 120 rooms, with each room designed to house four students. Each unit will feature a private bathroom and kitchen space.
The facility will also include a ground floor health centre, providing examination rooms and on site accommodation for medical staff.
Mr. Hun Sen expressed hope that the project will help ease the burdens faced by young women pursuing education far from home and contribute to the broader goal of empowering women and increasing their participation in national development.
The initiative has received support from Mr. Soeng Senkaruna, a representative of the Australia based Cambodian Democracy Organisation. He welcomed the plan as a meaningful step toward reducing the risks and challenges faced by female students who leave their hometowns to study in distant cities. He added that such support could play an important role in encouraging girls to remain in school.
Mr. Soeng Senkaruna also called for the initiative to be implemented effectively and with proper oversight by relevant officials and institutions.
In February 2023, during the National Council for Women’s annual meeting, Mr Hun Sen appealed to donors to support the construction of dormitories for female students in both the capital and the provinces. His goal, he said, was to increase access to secondary education for girls in rural areas by providing not only school opportunities but also secure places to live. He said this would help close the education gap between urban and rural communities.
