Dharamshala October 14 – The Tibetan Youth Congress has published a booklet refuting the claims of China’s White Paper titled “Gender Equality and Women’s Development in China”, which was made public in August 2005. The Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest non-governmental organisation of the exile Tibetan community, is based in Dharamshala. The organisation which does not concur with the exile government’s policy of middle way approach in resolving the Tibet issue has been vocal in condemning China of its harsh policies in Tibet.
The TYC’s answer to the Chinese White Paper is titled “the wo(e)men in China and Tibet: A study” contains eight chapters covering issues like women’s health, their share in the economy, social issues, and legal rights of women in China etc. “The most common feature of this White Paper is its robust claim to have provided the Women in China equal rights and status, which as usual, is buttressed with some impressive yet questionable figures”, the organisation believes.
The TYC says that women in China are losing out in all spheres of life and with the increasing discrimination against women, they are the first to be laid off from state jobs. They are the first to be deprived of local-government seats, as Beijing no longer enforces long-held gender quotas.
The booklet is available at the office of the Tibetan Youth Congress.
