women in Cambodia enjoy equal rights to men, but in practice, like in so many places, it is a different story. Conservative traditional norms continue to limit women’s participation in social, political and economic life. Cambodian society, which is extremely hierarchical and restrictive, values men whilst relegating women to the position of second-class citizens. “men are gold; women are cloth.” These traditional gender norms dictate that women here must follow the social rules to be “good women” and earn social acceptance. In practice, these rules command women to be delicate, polite, submissive and caring.