Women Organization of Bhutan

The time has come for all Bhutanese women to put their hands together and struggle for the right to live as human being.  The slogan, “Men and Women are equal” has to be translated by providing opportunity to women. The government should set up special laws to protect women from Gender based violence and promote women’s right. The state should take up the responsibility to empower women, providing space in the political and social Institution of the Nation. Majority of the people live in rural areas. The women living in rural areas have pathetic condition.  The women who comprise 49 percent of the population are still engulfed by the “vicious circle of ignorance” such as Child Marriage (regarded as boon), Husband as Lord, Women are obliged to perform domestic task, no space in decision-making that affects women life etc. Many women are forced to provide difficult physical labour beyond their esteem and accomplishment. The Psychological traumas of inferiority still exist in the midst of the Bhutanese women. The lack of awareness on family planning education has lead to high birth rate and the poverty engulfed their lives.

Realizing the need to raise the women issues politically and socially, the Bhutanese women have formed Bhutan Women Organization (BWO), on September 21, 1990 in exile and renamed Women Organization of Bhutan (WOB) on 26^th December 2003, that functions within its framework of Constitution of WOB. The WOB upholds the "Democratic Socialism" and would take up the women issues socially and politically. The peaceful expression of the Bhutanese people in 1990 demanding Human Rights and Democracy in Bhutan was termed as Anti-national and seditious activities by the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGOB). 

The WOB is the initiation of the women to seek political support around the world and look forward for a political change in Bhutan with equal participation of women in leadership and development of the country. WOB’s initiatives have now gradually making women to overcome some of the extreme violation of women rights.  The awareness on importance of education has now opened the door of education to women.  However, many girls drop out of the school due to early marriage (often on consent by the parents), parents’ stronger opinion on educating sons since the daughter would be married and would settle down in the in-laws house. The girls do not posses the liberty like that of boys to travel and to live away from the family.

The Bhutanese women have now realized the importance of education and would like educating their children irrespective of the gender. The process of awareness needs to be strengthened and must be a continuous process until the women are able to participate equally as men in all the political and social decision making discourse.