PhnomPenhPost-May 5, 2022
A few years ago, Meach Sithyka Jessica became the first-ever Cambodian woman to graduate from the US Military Academy at West Point, and since then her courage and determination has served as an inspiration for other Cambodian women. Similarly, Ly Chansocheata became the first Cambodian woman to ever graduate from the National Defense Academy of Japan (NDA) with a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, and she is now a military officer for Cambodia’s Ministry of National Defence. With her father being a military doctor and her brother a military officer, Chansocheata was following in her family’s footsteps when she took the entrance exam at the National Defence University of Cambodia in 2015 after graduating from Chea Sim Santhormok High School. In 2017, Chansocheata passed the scholarship exam at the NDA, which made her the first Cambodian woman ever admitted to the university. Many women would never join the army, Chansocheata says, because they are afraid it will somehow diminish their beauty. Chansocheata said that, as a woman, she’d like to encourage other young women to consider joining the military and discard outdated notions like military service is only a last resort for those without any other options. Chansocheata noted that when someone studies in a foreign country they can get acquainted with other cultures and broaden their knowledge of the world, which allows them to better understand what makes Cambodia special, but also what needs to be improved in order for Cambodia to fully modernize. Read more at: https://www.phnompenhpost.com/lifestyle/first-cambodian-woman-graduates-japans-nda-military-academy
