It is said that the General Election, this year, with the fact that seven out of the 10 Bhutanese women candidates were successfully elected was the big deal for the women, in general, of this South Asian country.
By Sherub Dorji & Dechen Wangmo | BBS
It is said that the General Election, this year, with the fact that seven out of the 10 Bhutanese women candidates were successfully elected was the big deal for the women, in general, of this South Asian country at the Third Parliamentary National Assembly Election on 18 Oct.
Compared with the number of women candidates which, in 2013, was just 3 out of eleven ones who were elected to the Congress, now has increased by four from the last National Assembly Election.
The National Assembly Election, 2018, took place with the participation of 18 women candidates, in total. from the four political parties: BKP (Bhutan Kuen-Nyam Party), DNT ( Druk Nyamrup Tshogpa), DPT (Druk Phuensum Tshogpa), and PDP (People’s Democratic Party).
The seven well-known names who will now become a part of the National Council as women representatives in the Parliament of Bhutan are Dorijee Wangmo, Dochen Wangmo, Dil Maya Rai, Tshewang Lhamo, and Yeshey Dem of DNT along with Tsherling Choden and Norbu Wangzom from DPT.
After BKP and DPD were eliminated in the Primary Round, the 10 remaining women from DNT and DPT, every five candidates of these parties rivaled for a seat in the National Assembly against the other 94 ones.
Stood out from that, there was a big win for DNT with the fact that five women candidates, in total, won their election.
After the result of the election was announced on 18 Oct, Ms. Neten Zangmo, the President of BKP congratulated the seven women candidates who were successful in their constituencies by
her “deeply-felt Tashi Delek” on Instagram.
Why Women Leadership Important
Due to weakness in Women’s leadership across sectors and the dismal situation in the parliament, the addition, even one or two in the number of female delegates, is a significant step forward for Bhutan where the decision-making spheres are mostly made by male candidates.
The answer for the lack of women representatives in Bhutan
Lack of trust is a reason that makes it far too easy to understand why women's leadership suffers the poor positions in Congress. Also, the backward mindset of recognizing women’s ability in leadership has become the main reason for this situation. The presence of 7 elected women candidates in the last National Assembly Election was just a minor step forward, however, it could be a chance for Bhutan to take a step closer to achieving this goal.
