ABSTRACT
Today, women make up the majority of market vendors in the cities of Cambodia. In fact, Cambodian women have played an integral part in the market economy dating back to the Angkorean empire over 1,000 years ago. Khmer women also contributed heavily to the establishment of underground exchanges in the labor camps, assuming greater risks than their male counterparts and often replacing the men as heads of households and key decision-makers. This chapter investigates the role of Cambodian women in the barter economy with dozens of examples of mothers using their resourcefulness and negotiating skills to provide for their families.
