Women – Tshering Tobgay

End violence against women!

February 14, 2013Women2 Comments

Today is Valentine’s Day. It is a day to celebrate love. The simple and pure message of love transcends all society, and so the Day is observed by all, all over the world. This Valentine’s Day is special because the world is also observing the One Billion Rising, a call for one billion women and all men who support women’s rights to walk out of offices and homes to “strike, rise and dance!” Bhutan will also join the noble cause. And, in true Bhutanese spirit, Her Majesty the Queen Mother Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck will lead the way, offering prayers and butterlamps…

Thank you Ama

May 13, 2012Women15 Comments

We don't celebrate Mother's Day in Bhutan. But 160 countries do. And 79 of them celebrate it today, the second Sunday of May. I think we should celebrate Mother's Day too. Like the rest of the world, we should dedicate a day to thank our mothers for their love and affection, and to acknowledge them for the huge influence they've had on our lives. Bringing up children is a difficult job at the best of times. But my mother raised six of us - all boys! She did so single-handedly. And she did so on a shoestring. That meant…

Sexual harassment

March 21, 2012Women60 Comments

My wife and our daughter, aged 12, walk home every afternoon. They enjoy their walks, but they’ve been harassed by all sorts of men including commuters, taxi drivers and even school students, in uniform, younger than our son. The eve-teasing is offensive and hurtful. Yet, they’ve continued to walk, even if they have to suffer sexual harassment, hoping that, sooner or later, we, men, will learn to respect our women, and permit them the freedom and simple pleasure of walking home from school or work. During their walk today, they met the procession of vehicles carrying effigies and other…

Stop violence against women

November 25, 2010Women

“Commit, Act and Demand: We can stop violence against women” This week’s banner celebrates International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Gender choices

December 4, 2009Women

Our last poll asked what you’d like to be reborn as in your next life. Most of us (133 or 42%) of us said that we did not care about the gender of our next birth. This is good, as it could mean that this group does not experience obvious gender biases in this life. But 132 or about 42% of us said that we would prefer to be reborn as men. And, only 51 of us – that’s barely 16% – would choose to be reborn as women. The last poll was meant to be amusing. It was…

Listen to the screaming

November 25, 2009Women

Today, 25 November, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Listen to Tracy Chapman's "Behind the Wall", one of my early favourites. Last night I heard the screaming Loud voices behind the wall Another sleepless night for me It won't do no good to call The police always come late If they come at all Last night I heard the screaming Loud voices behind the wall Another sleepless night for me It won't do no good to call The police always come late If they come at all And when they arrive They say they can't…

Born again

September 15, 2009Religion, Women

Our last poll says that almost half of us go to our villages at least once a year. And that 83% of us go to our villages a minimum of once every five years. That is good. As increasingly more of us abandon our villages in favour of city life, it becomes that much more important to stay in touch with our roots. And to support our relatives back home. Our next poll is a continuation of the previous one that asked if women face discrimination. Think about it carefully.

Working women

September 6, 2009Women28 Comments

A good 52% of the participants in our last poll said that we do not discriminate against our women. But 44% said that our women do face discrimination. And the rest, that’s hardly 4%, said that they couldn’t tell. A majority of us feel that our women do not suffer discrimination. That’s good. And that must be so. After all, our society is, more or less, matriarchal; inheritance favours daughters; men move in with their wives; wives don’t take their husbands’ names; widows and divorcees can remarry; and our laws protect women. For these reasons, and many more, we…

Women warriors

March 21, 2009Civil society, Monarchy, Women

Fourteen villages in my constituency, most of them in Gakiling gewog, do not have electricity. Every night, women in these villages turn their rangthang, a traditional stone mill, grinding buckwheat, maize and millet for several hours in virtual darkness. Working the rangthang is hard work in the best of conditions. But in the dark, by a hearth that offers more smoke than light, grinding food is a lonely and backbreaking exercise. Yet is must be done, for they must feed their families the next day.So yesterday, when 35 women from similar villages across Bhutan announced that, in three months,…

Celebrating women

March 8, 2009Civil society, Women

Today the world celebrates the achievements of women. Today is International Women’s Day.When I last checked, the IWD website had registered that 841 events would take place in 54 countries to observe International Women’s Day. And according to a press release from RENEW, Bhutan alone will hold five events – in Paro, Phuentsoling, Sarpang, Thimphu and Trongsa.Her Majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the founding president of RENEW, will grace the celebrations in Trongsa and address the nation. This is fortunate. Her Majesty works tirelessly to raise awareness and improve the conditions of our women. And to create social, economical…

Today’s pictures

December 23, 2008Nature, Women

Today, I saw the future ... and it looks good! Girls having fun, preparing themselves to become future teachers, doctors, engineers, scholars, technicians, poets, businesswomen, and politicians. It snowed today, this season's first. Although it was light, and only in the high mountains to the north of Thimphu, I was happy – it is good for our farmers, our environment and for hyrdopower.