beads, silk = GENDER

Trying to not stare but there was a young man stooping over beautiful beadwork on a bodice of a silk dress. He was sewing the tiniest beards into a design that was drawn onto the silk. There were 2 other women in the timber hut at sewing machines. He greeted me but then a woman came over to speak with me about my new cotton casual trousers I wanted made. He continued to sew beads. I tried not to stare!

It raises a number of gender role questions

Is he just filling in for the day cos his sister or wife is ill and they have a rush order? Or is he a kindly manager helping out just once?

I think not due to his complete familiarity in his space and with his nimble finger work. He looked like a young man very used to and happy with his employment.

And I wish him well in this role of his. He is simply sewing beads. For me it’s an indicator of flexibility and personal individual choices that might be opening up. Wonder if he can also repair a moto like all men are fully expected to be able to do?

Gender roles are very strict in Cambodia, with any child who gets an education even taught 'law of men' and 'law of women' prescribing specific gender roles; the expected women as baby-makers and masculine men in narrow role of strong, uncaring and uncreative