COUNTRY BACKGROUND - Gross National Happiness Commission

CHAPTER 5
WOMEN'S INVOLVEMENT IN
DEVELOPMENTWOMEN'S INVOLVEMENT IN
DEVELOPMENT
I. The Status of Women in BhutanI. The Status of Women in Bhutan
5.1 Women in Bhutan constitute 48% of the population. Bhutanese women enjoy considerable freedom and are
treated equal to men under the law. There is no overt discrimination on the basis of gender. Some women play as
vital a role as men in the rural and urban economy. A few women hold managerial positions in the public and
private sectors. Married women who are not employed in the formal sector can often generate as much income as
their husbands, in addition to being housewives.
Access to ServicesAccess to Services
EducationEducation
5.2 There is important gender difference in enrolment of boys and girls: approximately 60% boys compared to
40% girls. This disparity is being reduced with the establishment of community schools which are located closer to
communities and thus involve less time for children to reach school. The parental concerns regarding girls' safety as
mentioned above can thus be addressed. Some parents also consider formal education to be irrelevant to the needs
of women's lives, and education can be considered as a luxury. The dropout rate from school is also higher for
girls. While the adult literacy rate is 20%, the female literacy rate is estimated at below 10%. The existence of the
low literacy rate for women hinders the process of communicating important issues of health, sanitation, hygiene
and involving women in income generating programmes.
Health Health
5.3 Women face greater health risks than men, particularly as childbirth places greater stress on many women who
are undernourished, anaemic and suffering from iodine and vitamin A deficiencies. Despite impressive
improvements in the provision of primary health care, the maternal mortality rate remain one of the highest in the
world at 7.7 per 1,000. The majority of women still give birth at home and are not attended by a trained health
worker, thus increasing the risks further.
5.4 There are positive signs that the promotion of disease prevention, improved sanitation and hygiene are proving
effective. Attendance of Mother and Child Clinics is on the increase. However, the low ratio of female health
workers: 69 women to 729 men in 1989, does restrict the use of these services by women.
Gender Division of LabourGender Division of Labour
5.5 There is a strict division of labour at the household level with women being responsible for all household
chores. Both sexes are responsible for child care.
AgricultureAgriculture
5.6 The majority of women in Bhutan are involved in agricultural production. There are few comparative studies
of division of labour between the sexes. However, it would appear that the participation of women in the different
agricultural activities varies between different regions. Women are usually not responsible for ploughing but both
men and women prepare and cultivate the land, weed, harvest, thresh, winnow, broadcast the seeds and transplant
the seedlings.
5.7 The low levels of literacy amongst women also hinders their access to credit for agricultural production. The
Ministry of Agriculture provides extension services to both men and women, and have placed special emphasis on
reaching women. However, as in the case of health services, the majority of extension workers are men, which
1