Cambodian Female Leaders

Ieng Thirith was an influential politician and intellectual in the Khmer Rouge. The wife of Ieng Sary, who co-founded the Khmer Rouge, Thirith served as the Minister of Social Affairs from 1975 to 1979. In 2007, she was arrested along with her husband by the Cambodia Tribunal on suspicion of war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

Mu Sochua is a Cambodian women's rights activist and politician. An important member of the Cambodia National Rescue Party, Mu Sochua's work has been honored with several prestigious awards and nominations, such as her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 for her work to counter sex trafficking of women in Thailand and Cambodia.

Norodom Rattana Devi is a Cambodian politician and princess. She is best known for her service as a Member of Parliament for Kratié from 4 October 2003 to 27 July 2008. Norodom Rattana Devi is also known as the only daughter of Princess Norodom Marie and Prince Norodom Ranariddh.

Yun Yat was a Cambodian politician who served as the Minister of Information from 6 July 1977 to 7 January 1979. She was also known as the wife of Defense Minister of Democratic Kampuchea, Son Sen. Yun Yat and Son Sen were arrested and declared as traitors for working as spies for Vietnam. They were executed in 1997.

Men Sam An is a Cambodian politician and the current Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia. She is the first Cambodian female to serve as the deputy prime minister. Currently, Men Sam An is also serving as the Vice President of the Cambodian People's Party.

Tioulong Saumura is a Cambodian financial analyst and politician. From 1998 to 2017, she served as a Member of Parliament for Phnom Penh. A member of the infamous Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP), Tioulong Saumura was among the 118 senior party members who were banned from politics for five years in November 2017. 

Cambodian princess Norodom Vichara was the daughter of Cambodian ruler Norodom Suramarit. A politician, too, she was part of the political party FUNCINPEC and represented the Phnom Penh Municipality in the country’s National Assembly. She eventually lost her battle with lung cancer at age 66.

Apart from being a physician, Ing Kuntha Phavi is also a politician. The current Cambodian minister of women’s affairs, Phavi is a member of the Cambodian People's Party. She has also had a full-fledged medical career in France, working with the drug research department of ABR and as a member of AMC.

Cambodian politician Chou Bun Eng is the current Secretary of State for the Interior and a member of the Cambodian People's Party. She is also the vice-chair of the Cambodian National Council for Women and the National Committee for Counter Trafficking. She is particularly focused on preventing trafficking of migrant workers.

A pioneering female politician from Cambodia, Tong Siv Eng was her country’s first female MP and the first female minister. Both she and her husband were close aides of Cambodian king Sihanouk. She also served as an editor of Woman's Voice and left Cambodia following the coup of 1970.

Initially a school teacher in the US, Tep Sothy later joined the Cambodian Human Rights Party and then the Cambodia National Rescue Party. The Cambodian politician now represents the Takeo province as an MP. She is mostly involved with the rights of women, children, and migrant workers.

Cambodian politician and Cambodian People's Party member Nin Saphon has been an MP from the Takeo province. In February 2022, she headed a friendship committee from Cambodia, sent to Cuba, where she criticized the US’s hostile attitude to her country. She has also chaired the National Assembly’s commission on public works.

Cambodian politician Som Kimsuor is a member of the Cambodian People`s Party and has represented the Kampot Province as its MP. In 2021, she met State Auditor General of Vietnam Tran Sy Thanh and assured strengthening of bilateral ties between the 2 nations.

Cambodian politician and Sam Rainsy Party member Ke Sovannaroth has not just served his party as its secretary-general but has also represented the Siem Reap Province as its MP. She has been part of the Cambodian National Rescue Committee and has chaired the parliament’s social affairs commission, too.