STRONGER, Resilient Health Systems 4 SRHR (STRONGER Project)

Project Duration: March 2025 – September 2031
Areas: Preah Vihear Province (Choam Ksan, Kulen, Chhaeb, and Chey Sen Districts) and Stung Treng Province (Thala Barivat District)
Project Primary Beneficiaries: 38,235
Total Budget: CAD 4,010,750
Donors:Global Affairs Canada (GAC)

The STRONGER, Resilient Health Systems 4 SRHR (STRONGER) Project is a seven-year initiative that aims to improve the health, safety, and wellbeing of adolescent girls and women by strengthening access to quality sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services and enhancing the prevention and response to gender-based violence (GBV), including child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM). The project is implemented in Cambodia, Kenya, and the Philippines as part of a global effort to build more resilient, inclusive, and gender-responsive health systems.

In Cambodia, STRONGER is implemented in Preah Vihear Province (Choam Ksan, Kulen, Chhaeb, and Chey Sen Districts) and Stung Treng Province (Thala Barivat District). The project is expected to directly benefit approximately 38,235 people, including 4,027 adolescent girls (10–19 years), 5,748 adolescent boys (10–19 years), 15,618 women, and 12,842 men, while strengthening the capacity of more than 1,300 government officials, health workers, community volunteers, teachers, and other duty bearers.

STRONGER works in close partnership with the Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Departments, Provincial Departments of Women’s Affairs, local authorities, civil society organizations, and community leaders to strengthen survivor-centred, integrated, and evidence-based responses to GBV. The project focuses on three key outcomes: improving access to quality GBV-responsive health services; strengthening community leadership and advocacy to prevent GBV and promote gender equality; and enhancing the capacity of health systems and government institutions to deliver coordinated, multi-sectoral GBV prevention and response services.

Key project interventions include strengthening the capacity of health workers and service providers to deliver quality SRHR and GBV services, improving psychosocial support and referral systems, increasing awareness of SRHR and GBV among adolescents and communities, supporting community-led solutions through the CoLMEAL approach, and promoting the use of data and evidence for planning, advocacy, and policy development. The project also establishes stronger collaboration among health facilities, government institutions, community organizations, and women’s groups to improve service quality and accountability.

Guided by a rights-based, gender-transformative, and inclusive approach, STRONGER ensures that all people—regardless of age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity—can access respectful, quality health services without discrimination. Through sustainable partnerships and community ownership, the project seeks to create lasting improvements in health governance, empower women and adolescent girls to exercise their rights, and contribute to healthier, safer, and more resilient communities in Cambodia.