Khamsone PONEKHAMDY

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Starting Point

PONEKHAMDY is the Vice President of the Women’s Union of Xiengkhouang (WUX) Province. WUX is a unit under provincial governance responsible for developing and protecting the legitimate rights of women and children, women’s advancement, and gender equality. 

She is a XiengKhouang citizen who has worked under the WUX for over 15 years. Throughout her career, she has worked in various sectors and areas, including gender mainstreaming, violence against women, women's development, awareness raising, and assistance to victims of human trafficking in multiple forms, including Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) work. 

After taking responsibility for leading and guiding the UXO work on behalf of the WUX sector, she felt more motivated to work on that issue. It allowed her to learn more about UXO and how to prevent its harmful impact. Based on the training she received, she can disseminate information about the detrimental effects of UXO to more accurate target groups, specifically women and girls.

Peace Process

UXOs are still a crisis that endangers many, especially women and girls. Therefore, organisations and individuals with specific knowledge and skills must educate the broader public about OXUs' definition and how to prevent further impact, report, and survive in an environment with UXOs. PONEKHAMDY’s organisation, partners, and relevant sectors focus on UXO clearance, risk education, and victim assistance. This includes efforts involving demining technologies, training local teams, and empowering communities to safely rebuild their lives while mitigating the long-term effects of the UXO crisis.

In this case, women's participation and the involvement of all parties create a platform for gender mainstreaming. As a representative of women’s voice in UXO work, she mentioned that her organisation has advocated for women and has acted as peacemakers by contributing to the UXO field. The organisation has conducted campaigns and educational initiatives targeting women and girls in various settings, including communities, schools, and other locations.

She believes that building peace is essential for all, particularly for women affected by existing UXO issues. Therefore, she and her team, including women’s groups, have been involved in various processes within the policy development framework for long-term solutions, recovery, post-impact assistance, and providing education on the harmful effects of UXO directly to women and girls.

PONEKHAMDY highlighted that challenges tied to UXO types, engagement levels, and societal barriers hinder women's involvement in UXO work in Lao PDR. Cluster munitions, landmines, and aerial bombs require technical expertise and meticulous handling, but women often lack access to training due to gender biases and cultural norms. As caregivers and community leaders, women play key roles in UXO education and awareness but face undervaluation and limited institutional support. Operationally, women face logistical and economic barriers as they balance family responsibilities with demanding and hazardous work. Community-level efforts often exclude women’s perspectives, and psychological stress from UXO-related trauma further limits their participation. Women are underrepresented at leadership and strategic levels, reducing their influence on policy and the integration of gender-sensitive approaches. Moreover, UXO work has been culturally framed as unsuitable for women.  The limitation of adequate training, psychological support, and financial incentives further exacerbates these challenges. Addressing these barriers requires targeted initiatives, such as promoting gender-sensitive policies, providing specialised training, offering economic and psychological support, and raising awareness of women’s contributions. Including women in all aspects of UXO work is vital for more inclusive and effective clearance efforts and advancing broader peacebuilding goals in Lao PDR.

Success Stories

Building on the success and lessons learned from her experiences working closely with UXO, she has been actively involved in campaigning and raising awareness about UXO for all groups, including women, men, girls, and boys. Her efforts have included providing knowledge about UXO, conducting surveys, collecting data, assisting those affected, and creating job opportunities for individuals disabled by the effects of UXO. 

Through these activities, she has observed significant progress in understanding among all groups. Women in particular now possess greater knowledge and awareness about UXO. This has empowered women’s groups and individual women to plan operations, organise UXO-related activities, and take on leadership roles effectively and progressively. Women can now serve as team leaders, medical unit leaders, campaigners, and in other roles. They are capable of leading UXO initiatives with confidence and expertise.