A drawn conversation with The Messenger Band Cambodia.
The Messenger Band advocates for social justice and rural communities, standing against discrimination in society. Women workers should participate and collectively determine their path in order to bring about positive change for workers as a social group. Through their songs, they address gender stereotypes, discrimination, and violence in society.
Workers have been involved in collecting data on working conditions, family life, and the lives of migrant women to draw attention to these grievances. The band is the first all-female social activist folk group in the history of Cambodia, and their music carries a message about oppression, hope, and change.
Cambodia, January 2026