As a result of the leadership training and workshop for the BWPC members (including male Members of Parliament), the first-time serving women MPs as well as male MPs found the space useful for networking and enhanced their knowledge and confidence. Portrayal of women leaders as role models through media; and These beliefs are universal, but is it not true that Bhutan is different and unique? New challenges, same principles, humanitarian aid is a key pillar of the EUs external action and an important part of its ability to project its values globally. Gender equality and womens empowerment, but also diversity in the broadest sense of the word, are political objectives and priorities of the EU in all of its internal and external policy. The narrative has changed and so have women. Awareness and advocacy programmes on gender equality, and promoting a gender-sensitive media; Gender equality needs to start from homes. Contactthe European External Action Service, ask general questions on the European Union orgetinformation on visiting the EEAS. A great deal has been achieved in recent years, but more needs to be done to effectively embody gender equality, and deliver it. They also recommended revisiting the budget and planning to complement gender-responsive allocations. Are we capable of doing better in keeping with our own values and principles, guided by the GNH philosophy of development, which conveys a different message altogether, of a Bhutan where women are empowered, in control, and enjoying equal rights and freedom with men. Through the Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus, International IDEA supports public interest groups in Bhutan to engage with representative institutions in a democratic and effective way with the aim of improving public policy and practice on womens political participation. Migration is a global phenomenon presenting a unique set of challenges while offering substantial benefits to countries of origin and destination as well as migrants. In the absence of womens voices, how can the feminine side of concerns, issues, and needs in development be fully addressed? How can society be convinced about their ability to lead? It included the following: Part A: Identifies and prescribes measures for creating a demand for womens participation. But whether we are practising it, in reality, is questionable. It is well documented nowadays that womens participation also results in tangible gains for democratic governance and higher levels of satisfaction among the electorate regarding how a government is performing. In the land of Gross National Happiness (GNH), a majority of the population is female, and matrilineal customs dominate in many communities. The EU supports projects worldwide covering a range of sectors. A review of the five-year plans indicate that, while a gender-neutral position had been maintained by the Government in its policies, plans and programmes, it slowly evolved from a Women in Development approach in the 1980s to a gendered approach by the 10th Five-Year Plan (2008-2013). The effect of the initiative on the next local government elections in 2021, as well as the long-term aspiration of more women in all levels of governance, remains to be seen. Why is the reality on the ground full of gender stereotypical values, norms, attitudes and mindset that covertly and overtly stand in womens way when they reach out for leadership positions in every sphere, in contrast to the myths of a supportive society? Ten women versus 62 men! New geopolitical rivalries only serve to underline its role as a reliable and stable partner, and a champion of the rules-based international order. - Mandela, HR/VP Josep Borrell in Montenegro: the EU supports the European future of Montenegro and its people, 20 years of international criminal justice against the most horrific crimes, Bhutan: Enhancing women representation in local government. Reserved seats are most commonly used in Asia, the Arab region and Sub-Saharan Africa to regulate the gender composition of those elected. Workshop encourages Bhutans Parliament to adopt public hearings, engage with citizens, IDEA Statement at the Stockholm+50: A healthy planet for the prosperity of all our responsibility, our opportunity. The seemingly convincing arguments of the 1970s to 90s when girls were loved, favoured and kept at home (and hence at a disadvantage today) no longer hold much water. Liwan District, Guangzhou,Guangdong (P.R.China) The National Plan of Action to Promote Gender Equality in Elected Office (NPAPGEEO) was also developed in 2015, and includes actions to enhance womens participation through awareness and capacity building, as well as propositions to have temporary special measures in place. |Contact Us. The EU maintains diplomatic relations with nearly all countries in the world and undertakes a range of actions with strategic partners, key international players, and emerging and developing powers. Most of us, including women, believe that leadership roles belong to men, and a woman is best at home. Huanhua Road We noted an unprecedented gender sensitivity among male Parliamentarians too who were seen supporting positions (to enhance representation of women in Parliament) proposed by female colleagues.. The European Union together with its Member States is the worlds leading humanitarian donor. Room 8055, 5th floor. Find our vacancies. Reserved seats quota by law have been adopted by Uganda, Jordan and India. Some countries, like Denmark, took 100 years to achieve close to 40 percent representation of women in Parliament. In governance and politics, womens participation is more than a matter of political correctness, fairness, or equality. Patriarchal values and norms have started to become more prominent even in a matrilineal society like ours. When Your Personal Data Becomes Everyones Property, Good, Bad, Neither: Some Reflections on Technology and Culture, Candidate quotas are set most commonly in Latin America and Europe, through the gender composition of candidate lists. Interested in one of the tenders? There are two types of gender quotas: France adopted a candidate quota by law system through the gender quota law in 1999, making it one of the first countries to adopt such a law that required 50 percent of all candidates nominated by each party to be women. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hongmei Neon Equipment Factory Today, owing to the mismatch of myth and reality, the situation of Bhutanese women is not starkly different from elsewhere. Two more activities are still under implementation. , humanitarian aid is a key pillar of the EUs external action and an important part of its ability to project its values globally. Since the first CSDP missions and operations were launched back in 2003, the EU has undertaken 36 overseas operations, using civilian and military missions and operations in several countries in Europe, Africa and Asia. Key legal and policy frameworks have been adopted to ensure womens full and equal participation in the political, civil, economic, social, and cultural life. The BWPC members are using the platform to effectively strategize and promote gender policy agenda prior to the Parliament sessions. Women inherit family assets and pass them down from mother to daughter. The second was to reach out to already elected women representatives to see how they are faring and to further strengthen their capacities as local leaders. Why do women lack confidence to step out and stand up? Looking for an exciting job in the field of external relations, foreign affairs and security? The workshop has been useful in understanding the lapses and moving forward, said Nima, Member of Parliament. In a shifting geopolitical landscape, the EU has remained a strong defender of human rights. Womens rights to equal political and public participation, and the broader principle of gender equality, form a critical component in several declarations, conventions and other international norms. Further, since there was a need to have role models to encourage female representation in elected office, the adoption of a quota system was felt to be crucial as a temporary special measure. The situation is similar in the 205 Local Governments, with two women gups (head of gewog) struggling to stand tall to be seen alongside 203 male gups, Womens voices can barely be heard. Establishing support systems for women candidates, such as flexitime, childcare provisions and breast-feeding facilities for candidates, voters and those in elected office; She is also the honorary Consul of The Netherlands in Bhutan. During the national conferences and consultations, it was felt that having a quota for women in elected office undermined the capacity and competency of women, and quotas alone would not be adequate to address the issue. Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus, the first-ever joint initiative for gender equality was launched in 2019 by the BNEW and National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC). So women voters do hold the potential to deliver the margin of victory in many elections, for parties that take their issues seriously. Although Bhutan appointed the first female Minister after the second parliamentary elections in 2013, the number of elected female representatives in Parliament and in local government has decreased, despite strong commitment and political will. The National Plan of Action for Gender (NPAG) which was implemented in the 10th Five-Year Plan, reinforced the promotion of womens participation in politics, and identified interventions and targets for enhancing womens participation in politics. Such is the level of confidence in women. Achieving the goal of equal participation of women and men in decision-making will provide a balance that more accurately reflects the composition of society and is needed in order to strengthen democracy and promote its proper functioning. (Art. TheDiplomatic Representationsplay a vital role in representing the EU and its citizens around the globe and building networks and partnerships. Grants can be awarded as donations to third parties that are engaged in external aid activities. This could be compared with the global average of women in Parliament of around 22 percent. International IDEA is building on this momentum to continue its work in the country to support women in politics. If this happens then many of the problems would be solved. Is this good enough? Former minister Dasho Dorji Choden, the first female minister, addresses the challenges Bhutanese women politicians face before her fellow participants during the Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus orientation workshop held in Paro in November 2019. The EU is a worldwide recognised credible actor in international election observation. Over the past three years, International IDEA has supported BNEWs work to promote gender equality in the media, political parties, CSOs and various government institutions. Goal 2 (2020-2021): Increase the number of women elected local leaders by 30 percent using fast track measures. Before joining NCWC, Kunzang Lhamu worked in various capacities as chief research officer with Gross National Happiness Commission from 1994-2015. The Convention on the Political Rights of Women (1952) calls upon states to ensure that women are eligible for election, at par with men, without any discrimination. Science and technology play an increasing role in the geopolitical arena. Supporting women leaders in gender-sensitive political institutions; A deadline of 13 years is put forth to achieve 50-50 by 2030, that is, to ensure womens full, equal, and effective participation. The Global Gateway is a new European strategy to boost smart, clean and secure links in digital, energy and transport sectors and to strengthen health, education and research systems across the world. In the face of increased global instability, the EU needs to take more responsibility for its own security and increase its capacity to act autonomously. Campaign pages are created around specific topic and actions. Since 2006, the EU High Representative has led diplomatic efforts between the E3/EU+3 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States) and Iran, which led to the conclusion of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Irans nuclear program (JCPOA) in Vienna on 14 July 2015. It is historic that BNEW strategized and managed to make the caucus a reality within the project duration as aspired, given the prevailing mindsets and challenges in advancing the gender agenda in Bhutan. Jordan reserves 15 seats and follows the best loser system to select women who got the highest votes but were not elected. We should not expect women to stay home, playing expected gender roles that ask of them to be docile, unambitious, uncreative and hence suppressing (and wasting) all their potential, intelligence and wisdom. Creating an enabling legislative and policy environment to enhance womens participation; Military & civilian missions & operations. |Service As a visible result of the capacity building and exposure provided through this project, we observed more heightened and confident voices of women parliamentarians during recent session of the Parliament in February to March 2020, said Phuntshok Choden, executive director of the Bhutan Network of Empowering Women. He adds that it is time for more ambitious measures to take womens participation and political voice to the next level. The 11th Five-Year Plan (2013-2018) moved one step further by establishing Gender Friendly Environment for Womens Participation as one of the 16 National Key Result Areas, with Draft legislation to ensure quotas for women in elected offices, including the Parliament and local government bodies as one of the key performance indicators. Read morestories about International IDEA's results in ourAnnual Outcome Report 2019: Democracy In Action. Three interconnected areas looked promising. Article 7 of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), explicitly states the responsibility of state parties to eliminate all discrimination against women in being eligible for election to all publicly elected bodies. Cultural diversity is one of the emblems of the EU and its Member States and a tool to strengthen cultural relations beyond our borders, to connect people worldwide, to share values, to improve international relations and to learn from each others practice. Tel: +86 20 81608506, Home Disproportionate representation in decision-making translates into underrepresentation of issues, or one-sided shows. Strmsborg, SE-103 34 When women are not seen in the corridors of power and leadership, how can they grow to their full potential? Most significantly, female voters outnumber male voters in most countries, including our own. The Diplomatic Service of the European Union, About the European External Action Service, Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs), EU Facilitated Dialogue: Belgrade-Pristina relations, Tackling Disinformation, Foreign Information Manipulation & Interference, Economic relations - Trade & sustainability, Junior Professionals in Delegations (JPD) Programme, How to apply for an EEAS call for tenders, Useful links and documents for tenderers and contractors, Ex-post publicity of the annual lists of contracts, Official Journal of the European Union (TED), #FieldVision: The View from the Middle East: Improving the safety and security of the Palestinian people and paving the way for a two state solution, one step at a time, "It is easy to break down and destroy. About Author: Phuntshok Chhoden is Executive Director with Bhutan Network for Empowering Women and is a chair of SABAH-Bhutan. This was with the conviction that it helps have some support system among women who have been in leadership positions or are thinking of standing for elections. Topics included updates on relevant policies and regulations, understanding the overall planning and budgeting system in the country, conflict resolution, and gender and leadership. Ensuring gender-responsive school curriculums and school environments. Since 2000, the EU has deployed over 160 EOMs in more than 60 countries. Horses and cattle, the latest victims of supposedly contaminated feeds? The initiative is spearheaded by the local civil society organization Bhutan Network for Empowering Women (BNEW). But the number of elected women was halved in the second parliamentary election in 2013, to four women MPs in the Parliament. In numbers, a total of 146 elected women representatives from Dzongkhag Tshodus (district council) and Gewog Tshogdes (county council) were trained, and a total of 1061 women in 20 districts were directly reached through awareness programs. Combined with two women appointed by His Majesty The King in the NC, womens representation for the period stood at 13.88 percent. DeSuup Skilling Programme gives hope to youth, Zero tolerance against sexual harassment: Paro College of Education. Zip code: 510375 Australia adopted voluntary quota in 1994 and uses a 35 percent voluntary quota system. How can women learn to lead? Gender balance in decision-making has a direct impact on a nations stability and ability to grow and develop. Why do the other 49 percent of the population need 91.5 percent of seats to represent them? |News According to the Bhutan Network for Empowering Women (BNEW), presently, Bhutan has only 15 per cent of women representation in the parliament. Photo credit: International IDEA, Identifying obstacles and focusing on long-term solutions to propose strategies for equal representation. Prevalent norms which maintain inequality in elections and political leadership have to be corrected. Phuntshok Choden, executive director, Bhutan Network of Empowering Women. Part B: Focuses on a variety of interventions, such as creating awareness, and capacity-building, while providing the necessary support to create a level playing field to ensure that a consistent and adequate number of women contest the different elections. The first democratically elected Parliament of Bhutan (2008-13) had eight elected women (four in the NA and four in the NC). Why, then, are there only four elected women MPs in the 2nd democratically elected Parliament of Bhutan (2013-18)? Equal consideration for all may demand very unequal treatment in favour of the disadvantaged. ~ Amartya Sen. Bhutan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in August 1981 without any reservations. To encourage more women to come forward, the Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus organized a three-day workshop that ended recently. Photo credit: Myanmar Project Collective /Visuallrebellion.org, International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) Policy and Legal Framework (At National and International Level). The Thimphu Declaration drafted and endorsed on the third and final day of the 2nd National Conference entailed the Vision Planet 40-60 by 2030 in governance, leadership and politics: Goal 1 (2018-2019): Ensure 30 percent of women candidature in the upcoming elections by political parties. The National Plan of Action to Promote Gender Equality in Elected Office (NPAPGEEO) was developed as a temporary special measure. Members of Parliament who attended the workshop proposed recommendations to amend legislative acts relevant to women such as the Marriage Act, Child Adoption Act, and Domestic Violence Prevention Act among others. We learned that there are rooms for improvement and agencies that can push this agenda. |Products Climate change and environmental degradation are an existential threat to Europe and the world. The EU works to ensure that migration takes place in a safe, regular and sustainable manner. So, today four plus two women MPs represent nearly 51 percent of the population in the Parliament of Bhutan. No woman was elected to the NC, save for the two women Eminent Members appointed by His Majesty The King, whereas the NA maintained the same number of four women MPs. The myth and reality are not in sync, more so when examining this aspect of women in governance, leadership and politics. 183). Success without democracy is improbable; democracy without women is impossible. ~Madeleine K. Albright, Myth vs Reality of Womens Political Participation in Bhutan. Since 2011, the EEAS carries out the EUs Common Foreign and Security Policy to promotepeace, prosperity, security, and theinterestsofEuropeansacross the globe. How do we explain that when Bhutan projects a progressive image of a happy, balanced and harmonious society, where women are empowered and enjoy full equality with men, where women are respected and daughters favoured? The third was to raise general awareness on the importance of gender equality and womens leadership. The adoption of quotas has met with mixed reactions from both women and men in Bhutan. Countries around the world have developed and implemented temporary special measures, quotas, affirmative action, multi-sectoral measures addressing education, economic empowerment and ending violence against women, and fast-tracked systems of inclusion. Grants are managed by EuropeAid (DEVCO) or DG Near, the EEAS does not manage any grant. See how to apply for an EEAS call for tenders. One major outcome of the project was the launch of the BWPC itself. The 12th Five-Year Plan, which will be launched in 2018, has Gender Equality and Women and Girls Empowered as a National Key Result Area with key performance indicators and targets that will measure womens representation in Parliament and local government. Are We a Matrilineal Society Doomed by Patriarchal Norms? Bhutan has submitted nine reports so far, and every time the recommendation has been for the country to adopt temporary special measures to address the gap in womens political participation. This is a highly unbalanced scenario. Dongpeng Debao Commercial Center. The initiative seeks to answer the question of what can we do to contribute towards enhancing the number of the women in local government elected offices?. She has Master in Public Policy from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore and graduated from Sherubtse College in 1993 with Bachelor of Arts. We know from developments in other parts of the world that when women share decision-making power with men at higher levels, countries experience a higher standard of living too. As required by the Convention, periodic reports on the status of women are submitted to the UN CEDAW Committee every four years, and the Committee forwards its recommendations to the state party. While these efforts have led to positive changes of behaviours and relationships, Bhutan is still below both the global average of 22 per cent women in parliament and the regional average of 19.6 per cent. Bhutanese women have made progress in national political representation. All over the world, the European External Action Service, in coordination with the European Union institutions, addresses EU foreign policy priorities, including civilian and military planning and crisis response. Relevant government resource people were roped in, which proved to be quite effective. Political Participation of Women in Bhutan. Job opportunities, grants and tenders at the EEAS, EU Delegations and Missions and Operations. Kunzang Lhamu is the director for National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC). We cannot continue to follow our forefathers approach of differentiating men and women, said Dorji Wangmo, who is also a Member of Parliament. The BWPC provides a platform for women parliamentarians and future candidates to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to promote the vision of an inclusive democracy in Bhutan.

Special measures to increase womens effective participation in governance. Former minister Dasho Dorji Choden, the first female minister, addresses the challenges Bhutanese women politicians face before her fellow participants during the Bhutan Women Parliamentary Caucus orientation workshop held in Paro in November 2019. Moreover, the MPs also cited that the forum has effectively led to enriching discussion and building consensus on advocating gender-sensitive legislation. There is a strong and continued need to create awareness on gender biases, stereotypes, norms and attitudes which are deeply entrenched in the society. And according to Global Gender Gap 2020, Bhutan is ranked 8th among the eight South Asian countries. All over the world, theEU works toprevent and resolveconflicts, tosupportresilient democracies, to promotehuman rightsandsustainable development, tofightclimate change, and to contribute to a rules-based global order. The European Union has Special Representatives in different countries and regions of the world. It is already positive to see a general interest among participating women to contest in the next elections. The number of women elected to Parliament in Bhutan increased from 8.3 per cent in the 2013 election to 15.2 per cent in 2018the highest percentage of women in Parliament in the countrys history. In Bhutan, the three National Consultations and two Conferences on Women in Politics held between 2013 and 2017 put forth the need for a Strategy and workable Action Plan. Bhutan is currently midway through implementing the 11th Five-Year Plan, which includes gender equality as a key element for strengthening governance.