COUNTRY BACKGROUND - Gross National Happiness Commission

Women's Involvement in Development
restricts women's access to these services, for social reasons.
Formal EmploymentFormal Employment
5.8 In addition to the agricultural sector, 0.25% of women are employed in the service sector, 0.27% in business
and 0.18% in other areas of work. Information on women's participation in the industrial sector is not available.
5.9 Women form 14% of the Civil Service, where there is no discrimination in pay, compensation or benefits
between the sexes. Although the provision of maternity benefits is not enforced by law, the rules of the Royal Civil
Service Commission provide 3 months of maternity leave for the first 2 children. There is a slight difference in pay
for unskilled workers where women get paid less than men.
Self EmploymentSelf Employment
5.10 In urban areas women are active in retailing and real estate speculation. In rural areas, one of the few
options for income generation outside agriculture is weaving. Weaving is the main activity for women in the central
and eastern parts of the country during the winter months, when there is less agricultural work. There are several
difficulties in income generation from weaving particularly related to marketing. Many women produce woven
fabrics in remote areas where the local market is limited and the transport costs to larger towns are high. The
national demand for the fabric is also relatively small and the potential for export has not been assessed. The lack
of raw materials such as yarn and related facilities of dyeing and market outlets for other products such as wood,
bamboo and cane crafts serve as major constraints.
II. InstitutionsII. Institutions
National Women's Association of BhutanNational Women's Association of Bhutan
5.11 The National Women's Association of Bhutan (NWAB) came into being on 9th April, 1981 by the
resolution passed by the 53rd session of the National Assembly. NWAB was first established as an NGO,
functioned as a non-ministerial Department from 1985 to 1991, when the organisation reverted to the status of
NGO. The National Women's Association of Bhutan undertakes the promotion of improvements in the socioeconomic
conditions of women throughout Bhutan through identifying the constraints that women face and
appropriate solutions. Many of the activities of the NWAB are carried out by voluntary Women's Association
Members both in the capital and in the Dzongkhags, while the headquarters staff act as a link between the RGOB
Ministries and the Dzongkhag Women's Associations of Bhutan. There are a total of 407 voluntary members.
5.12 The NWAB has established several income generating programmes in selected areas. Training has been
provided to improve technical skills, in weaving, knitting and tailoring. Short term credit has been given and
market outlets provided through the Handicraft Emporium in Thimphu. Raw materials supply has been improved
through the establishment of yarn depots and sub depots. These activities have provided women with an additional
source of income, although the marketing constraints referred to above persist.
Royal Government ProgrammesRoyal Government Programmes
5.13 The NWAB has worked closely with RGOB Departments to ensure that women are included in relevant
programmes and projects. In addition, the Government has developed programmes directed specifically at women.
For example, leadership training programmes have been initiated to promote health and hygiene, through the
production of "Facts for Life" booklets and to raise women's awareness of their potential role in development. The
women trained in turn train other rural women. This programme was found to be effective in beginning to bring
the women into the main stream of national development. A smokeless stove project was launched and a total of
13,564 stoves were installed in the rural areas. Since 1989, this project has been transferred to the Department of
Works and Housing.
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