DEHRADUN: The second series of “Nuns Empowerment and Need Analysis Workshop”, organised by the Central Tibetan Administration’s Women’s Empowerment Desk of Social and Resource Development Fund, began today at Sakya Rinchen Choeling nunnery in Dickyiling Tibetan settlement in the northern Indian state of Uttrakhand. The programme will cover more than 330 nuns in Sakya College, Drikung Samten Ling (near Dehradun), Retna Menling in Solan, Dongyud Gatsel Ling in Tashi Jong and the Palpung Sherabling in Bir till 28 March.

The first round the workshop held in five nunneries around Dharamsala in 2012 covered 275 nuns. 

Ms Namgyal Lhamo Taklha, the director of Drikung Nunnery, Khenpo Rangdrol, the head of Drikung Monastery, Dr Sonam Wangmo of Tibetan Medical Astrology’s Dickyiling branch and Dr Tenzin Ngadon of Tibetan Medical Astrology’s Shimla branch are resource persons for workshops around Dehradun and Solan. Rev. Lobsang Dechen, assistant director of Tibetan Nuns Project, Ms Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, a member of Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, and Dr Tenzin Lhadon, a former physician for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, will be the resource persons for the upcoming workshops around Bir settlement. The Tibetan settlement officers take part in the workshop.

Speaking to Tibet.Net about the workshop, Ms Tenzin Tseyang, the coordinator for Women’s Empowerment programme, said: “The programme aims to bring awareness on women’s empowerment policy and its related concepts amongst as many nuns as possible, to motivate the nuns towards full utilisation of the available opportunities like sitting in Geshema examination, setting higher goals and primarily to study and understand the education, health, and leadership status of Tibetan nuns. The nuns have had very positive influences during the first round of empowerment workshops where their confidence was boosted, they were motivated, and had learned many new things, and therefore a similar result is expected during this programme too.”