Dept of Finance Organises Symposium On Tibetan Women Empowerment[Thursday, 4 March 2010, 3:03 p.m.]

Kalon Tripa Prof Samdong Rinpoche (c) addresses a two-day symposium on Tibetan women’s empowerment in Dharamsala on 4 March 2010/Photos by Sangay Kyap/TibetNet

Dharamshala:
A two-day deliberation on how to facilitate and empower Tibetan women
to take full and active participation in social, political and economic
and other administrative activities in the exile community started this
morning at Gangchen Kyishong.Around 40 women participants and
representatives from departments and offices of the Central Tibetan
Administration are taking part in the first-ever symposium on women
empowerment from 4 – 5 March. It is an initiative of the Social and
Resource Development Fund (SARD) under the supervision of the Kashag
and Department of Finance. On 2 September 2008, the incumbent
13th Kashag laid down policy vision for the empowerment of Tibetan
women in the diaspora. SARD has been initiating a series of programmes
including trainings, discussions, workshops and counsellings to educate
and encourage Tibetan women to take more proactive role at various
administrative levels. In his keynote address to the
participants, Kalon Tripa Prof Samdong Rinpoche said since the
beginning of human civilization in Tibet, Tibetans in their entire
history have not experienced problems such as gender inequality or
gender oppression and exploitation. Particularly since the spread of
Buddhism in Tibet, the importance of gender equality explained in
Buddhist teachings have flourished in Tibet, and continue to do so even
to this day, he added.Kalon Tripa stressed that the “core
objective of the women empowerment programme is not to demand rights
for the women, but to invoke and activate the inherent power of
womanhood”. 

“The idea
of Tibetan women empowerment is provide equal opportunity to women so
that they do not lack behind in taking up their share of universal
responsibility,” Kalon Tripa said.Kalon Tripa presented the
proportion of male and female participation in the Central Tibetan
Administration and in various regional level institutions. The
total number of official civil servants is 464 out of which the male
and female ratio is 309/155. Out of total of more than 700 staff
working in Tibetan settlement offices in India and Nepal, the ratio is
446/274. The strength of women in the governing bodies of cooperative
societies is low which is only 25 against 229 men. The figure is also
at the low of 16 against 190 in Rawang Denpai Legul Tsokchung. Out of
206 local leaders (gyapon) only 24 are women.Kalon
Tripa said emphasis must be laid on efforts to increase the number of
Tibetan women’s participation in the Tibetan parliament, local Tibetan
assemblies, board of directors of cooperative societies, Rawang Denpai
Legul Tsokchung and local leadership in Tibetan settlements in India,
Nepal and Bhutan.He emphasised that there should be some
tangible increase in the number of Tibetan women participation in these
institutions within a span of next 10 years.A
group of panelists, including Dr Juile Thekkudan of Society for
Participatory Research in Asia, Ms Dolkar Wangmo, counselor at the
department of education and Ms Tenzin Dhardon Sharling, research and
media officer at the Tibetan Women’s Association, will preside over a
panel discussion.  Kasur
Jetsun Pema, Kasur Rinchen Khando and Mr Jampel Choesang, Chief
Election Commissioner and Chairman of Public Service Commission were
present at the inaugural session.