Tath Nika has had to overcome more obstacles than most to get to where she is today. “I experienced multiple barriers growing up as a blind girl, and I continue to face barriers as a blind woman,” explains Nika, who embarked on her career in 1997 as the first female blind massage therapist in Cambodia. Today, in the face of these obstacles, Nika runs her own establishment, Nika’s Seeing Hands, in the capital of Phnom Penh.
Growing up, because of her disability, Nika was discouraged from schooling but was determined to pursue an education. Eventually she was enrolled onto an NGO-supported programme for visually impaired students, where she learned to read braille, speak English and learn advanced massage techniques, which ultimately became her passion. Nika went on to teach other visually impaired and blind individuals massage skills and eventually, after growing in confidence, she founded her first business alongside four of her fellow students.
However, as the only female member, Nika faced unique obstacles compared to her peers, and eventually decided to go it alone and establish her own business, with financial backing from her family. Faced with gendered discrimination from clients, who failed to acknowledge her business as reputable, Nika’s path to success was not easy: “In spite of my own growth, I continue to face stereotypes in my native Phnom Penh, both in terms of having a disability and being a woman.”
Despite these obstacles, Nika draws inspiration from her passion for massage therapy, and her desire for personal growth. “My business plays a big role in helping people from different backgrounds to relieve their tensions. On a personal level, I wanted to start my own business to learn about my weak points and overcome them so I could become fully independent. I wanted to feel confident to handle the business operations by myself, including management, teaching staff, and accounting.”
Today, Nika has not only achieved this personal goal, she has been able to provide others with opportunities for growth, empowering her three visually impaired employees’ with the skills and knowledge to participate as equal partners in her business. “I’m not the boss; they are not working for me, they are working with me,” she emphasizes.
Nika hopes to have further opportunities to empower blind and visually impaired individuals to achieve their goals. “I want to be able to provide more employment opportunities and inform and protect other women with disabilities against discrimination, so they can learn to be independent, like me.”
To further these efforts, Nika is currently participating in research led by Impact Hub, in partnership with ESCAP’s Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship programme, funded by Global Affairs Canada. The objective is to identify the unique barriers faced by women entrepreneurs with disabilities in accessing finance. Through the partnership, ESCAP and Impact Hub are collaborating to create Communities of Practice throughout the region, building networks for women entrepreneurs with disabilities such as Nika.
“Building a community of women entrepreneurs with disabilities is crucial, especially for those who lack support from family. This can offer such women a sense of hope for the future and provide a much-needed support network so that they feel confident to participate fully in society.” underscores Nika.
Source: unescap
