Issues relating to domestic violence, lack of access to education, child labor along with gender and disability discriminations, are evident in target communities.

WDO field staff have noted that many women are beginning to seek divorce due to being married at a young age or becoming victims of alcoholism and abuse.In traditional Cambodian culture, these women are in extremely vulnerable positions. Widows within villages are often susceptible to abuse by other men and are quite vulnerable also.

Working through the core groups and with the advice of a gender technical staff, WDO create environments where community members can openly share, encourage and support each other. Training on Gender mainstreaming is also offered to all village members throughout the year.

In Cambodia Primary education is accessible for both girls and boys, although more males are present in secondary school, as young women are expected to find work to support their families. In many target communities low school attendance is common. Family priorities seem more important than education, and children have to support the family through labor. Through the efforts of the local core groups in poverty alleviation, there are a growing number of children who are able to attend school. WDO take a rights based approach to its programming, and while understanding local context they always support families encouraging the education and rights of their children.

There is a great divide between the rich and poor, and many of the poorer villagers are not educated on rights, nor have sufficient access to them. Group inclusion between rich and poor is an issue and the poorer community members are traditionally afraid to participate in-group committees when richer more powerful villagers are present. Core groups work cohesively with all community stakeholders, including local authorities to educate the community about their rights and responsibilities.

Disabled members have little access to work and there are great employment disadvantages and prejudices, WDO staff and core groups prioritize the needs of these local villagers and make sure all activities are inclusive.