VAN CHANKANHA

Van Chankanha is a dynamic changemaker and co-founder of the Breakthrough movement, a platform dedicated to fostering gender equality and dismantling harmful social norms. She previously served as Project Officer for The Cambodian NGO Committee on CEDAW (NGO-CEDAW), championing women’s rights and amplifying gender justice initiatives across Cambodia.

Growing up in Cambodia, Kanha witnessed the deep-rooted inequities between women and men, igniting her passion for creating a more just and inclusive society.

She holds a master’s degree in Applied Economics from Hitotsubashi University in Japan and has built a diverse career spanning the health, water supply, and women’s rights sectors. Her work is unified by a singular goal: empowering Cambodian women and girls to break free from restrictive norms and fully claim their rights and freedoms.

For Kanha, co-founding Breakthrough is the realization of a lifelong dream to drive meaningful change and inspire a new generation of leaders to challenge societal barriers.