Precious Women Research Project: EXPERIENCES OF FORMER FEMALE CAMBODIAN ENTERTAINMENT AND SEX WORKERS INTEGRATING INTO Christian CHURCHES PRESENTED BY: Sophia Kong, Lead Team Researcher And Tricia Hester, Report author January 2017

Who we are: Precious Women (PW) is a faith based, NGO which assists women and underage girls in exiting the industry of commercial sexual exploitation. Goal: To help women work in an environment free from sexual exploitation (this includes prevention and intervention for their clients)

Research Project Goals Evaluate Precious Women (PW) organization from its founding in 2010 to 2016 Target the spiritual experience of the PW clients before and after (re)integration interview10 churches about perspectives on former fEW/FSW Survey churches to help PW staff better understand how to help their clients integrate into the Christian community

Background/Literature review between 2008-2012 there is estimated a three fold increase in the number of women entering Cambodia’s commercial sex industry as FEW and fSW from 12,762 to 41,622 Methodology Two separate surveys (29 clients and 10 churches) Clients were either former feW or FSW who graduated a PW skills Project Pastors, church leaders, and church members were included in church surveys and were scattered across 4 provinces in Cambodia Focus groups, in-depth interviews, and case studies (cross-sectional study)

10 church Survey results (4 provinces) Good responses Challenges 50% know FEW/FSW attended their church; 20% unaware if EW/FSW attend 90% Yes when asked would you accept fEW/FSW into church 3 out 10 churches offered their building for the first time to PW for outreach events during survey 80% open to allowing PW staff share at their church about fEW/FSW 30% of churches have former fEw/FSW working in leadership positions in church 50% admitted to discriminating The majority of church respondents did not understand why former fEW/FSW would not attend church Majority feel unequipped on how to help former fEW/FSW Only one respondent listed rejection from society as a barrier to church attendance for FEW/FSW

29 Client Survey results Challenges Good Responses 45% state they are attending church now 53% state would attend church if transportation was provided 66% state Job & Family main barriers to attending church 59% state no church near their home 72% identify themselves as Christian & believe Jesus Christ is their Savior 10% list transportation as barrier for attending church after (re)integration 0% of clients listed discrimination by church congregations as a barrier for attending church 86% state they would like pastors or church members to support them more

What does all this mean to PW Staff? Challenges/goals to Churches Tackling impact of Discrimination through education to churches Emphasizing to churches that “special programs” are not needed Emphasizing to churches that clients need friendship and fellowships with church members and do not want to be identified as fEW/FSW (simply having someone to sit with at church) Challenge: finding a Christian for clients to connect with in communities when churches are not near their home during (re)integration (which is 59% of clients)

What does all this mean to PW Staff? Challenges/goals to Clients Job and family is biggest barrier to attending church during & after (re)integration Is transportation a barrier to attending church after (re)integration? (10% clients said yes) OR is a lack of Christian friendship/fellowship a barrier (59% clients said they would attend church if transportation is provided. Further research is needed PW staff continue their current approach to inviting their clients to church How does the influence of religious views from family affect the clients during (re)integration? Further research is needed Recommendation: PW staff continue to create strong bridges of Christian friendship/fellowship between clients while in the program and Christians in the community (cell groups/ life group particularly)