History
Member of parliament and mother of three, Mu Sochua has played a crucial role in the empowerment of women and has worked tirelessly to lead the fight against gender-based violence for more than 25 years. After 18 years in exile, she returned to Cambodia in 1989 and served as adviser on women's affairs to the prime minister, was elected to the national assembly and was minister of women's and a veterans' affairs from 1998 to 2004, a position she relinquished to join the Sam Rainsy party. The 54-year-old was one of 1,000 women nominated for the Nobel peace prize in 2005 and has received many awards for her human rights work. She was awarded an honorary PhD in law from Guelph University, Canada, in recognition of her justice and human rights work. (From Southeastern Globe Magazine, December 2008)