A Proper Woman (biography) by Thavry Thon

#perseverance #socialpressure #genderbias

The moment I saw this book at the bookshop, I couldn't stop myself from buying it. I bought the Khmer version of the book, because I wanted to practice reading in Khmer, and I think the English version came out first, as some parts didn't make too much sense in Khmer. But it's all good. I still really enjoy reading the book, because for the following reason:

• Bong Thavry did an awesome job at sharing her life story, as I could imagine it as she writes in the book. She didn't give up when life gets hard, and it is so empowering in many ways to be able to witness her life story through this book.

• She also did a great job at writing and describing how it is like for girls and women in Cambodia to go through the cultural and social pressure of getting married early, thus not being able to pursue higher education.

• There was a mix of reflecting on the Khmer Rouge and how it has caused the Cambodians to not trust each other anymore.

• I could relate to a lot of parts in this book in regards to standing up for myself as a woman, and I feel empowered to not stay silent about things that are not right.

• Bong Thavry also shared so many inspiring and empowering projects that she completed, even when there were many people against it. I feel some strong encouragement from reading this book.

I highly recommend this book if you want to read and get a sense of how Cambodian society has been towards girls and women. I hope things will get better soon. There has been some good progress, I think, in society, and there is still a lot to work on.