The Global Search for Education: Director Lizzie Green on Vocational Training and Job Opportunities for Women in Cambodia

Posted By C. M. Rubin on Mar 17, 2023

This month, audiences can screen Lizzie Green’s film Women are Gold on the Planet Classroom Network. This film is curated by Planet Classroom.

Women are Gold, a short film by Director Lizzie Green, highlights the significance of Penh Lenh, a Cambodian jewelry brand and change leader. Penh Lenh provides education, skills, and career opportunities for local women with the aim of lifting them out of poverty and empowering them.

Women must learn how to value themselves in a society that holds men in higher esteem than women. In Lizzie’s film, several women share their stories of how Penh Lenh has impacted and changed their lives.

The Global Search for Education is pleased to welcome Lizzie Green.

Lizzie, what motivated you to highlight the work Penh Lenh has done and is doing for marginalized women?

We were motivated by Penh Lenh’s unique business model that uses its profit-making capabilities to enhance the lives of its workers and women in general. It’s rare and inspiring to see a business run so ethically and generously.

Was it difficult to encourage the women in this film to be so open and vulnerable about their personal struggles?

The women in the film were open with the hopes that their stories would help others who have gone through the same things as them. The subject matter is very sensitive and tough to talk about, so we are very grateful to them for trusting us with their stories.

Did you learn anything not featured in the film that might have changed your perspective about the privileges a lot of us take for granted?

Just spending an extended amount of time in Cambodia was eye-opening in that matter. Every day I’d see something on the street that reminded me what a privilege quality health care is, or the fact that my native language allows me to communicate, make money, and support myself basically anywhere in the world.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this film?

I hope they will learn a little bit about the issues that women face across the world, and that behind every statistic there is a real person’s story. I also hope they are inspired by what social enterprises can accomplish, and how focusing energy on a community can have a real, tangible impact.

Thank you Lizzie!