Mrs Loeun Sam Oeun is a Lun Indigenous woman from Thmada Village, Beung Kanseng Sangkat, Banlung City, Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia. She is known for her strong perseverance and commitment to education, Indigenous community development, and the promotion of Indigenous women’s rights in Cambodia and across Asia.

She began her primary education in 1993 at Labaensiek Primary School and continued her lower and upper secondary education at Samdech Ov Samdech Me High School in Ratanakiri Province. Due to poverty and the long distance from her home to school, she walked 3–4 kilometres every day for two years. Later, she stayed with her aunt near the school to continue her studies more easily. During weekends and holidays, she collected vegetables, fished, harvested crops, and worked in the fields to earn money for school materials and daily living.

While studying, she joined the Indigenous Youth for Development and Peace (IYDP) program supported by NTFP, where she learned community facilitation, Indigenous traditional knowledge, leadership skills, and goal-setting. Although she failed the high school exam twice, she never gave up. In 2004, she received a scholarship and pursued an Associate and Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration (BBA) at Build Bright University in Ratanakiri, graduating in 2008 with strong academic results.

Mrs Samoeun has over 20 years of work experience, including more than 12 years with international NGOs in multilingual education, developing learning materials for Grades 1–3, and four years in administration and finance coordination. For the past six years, she has served as a Program Manager at Highlanders Association (HA), overseeing project implementation, ensuring quality and effectiveness, and supporting staff leadership and capacity development.

She is a Board Member of the Cambodia Indigenous Women’s Association (CIWA), providing guidance on organizational governance and Indigenous women’s leadership. She is also an active member of the Network of Indigenous Women in Asia (NIWA), promoting solidarity and Indigenous women’s rights through regional exchanges and capacity building. Through international exposure, she gained deeper understanding of Indigenous rights, culture, identity, and self-determination, which strengthened her confidence and leadership in Indigenous advocacy.

At the national level, she actively engages with the Cambodia Indigenous Peoples Alliance (CIPA), contributing to consultations and advocacy on forest law, protected areas, and environmental legislation. At the provincial level, she supports Indigenous communities in land tenure, collective land registration (ICLT), and addressing development impacts through collaboration with government authorities and relevant institutions.

Mrs Samoeun believes Indigenous Peoples are key contributors to social development due to their valuable traditional knowledge and culture. She encourages Indigenous youth to pursue both formal and informal education to preserve culture, identity, and natural resources for future generations.

She is a role model for Indigenous women and girls, demonstrating resilience, leadership, and dedication to advancing Indigenous rights and women’s empowerment in Cambodia and across Asia.