By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, May 8: Around 150 Tibetan women from 23 different regional chapters of Tibetan Women’s Association have gathered at the Centre for Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarah, to participate in the 11th General Body Meeting today.
Addressing at the inaugural ceremony, Tibetan PM Sangay said, “Since the March 12, 1959 Uprising led by Tibetan women in Lhasa against China’s occupation of Tibet, Women leadership have continued in exile and now as Tibetan Women’s Association as one of the largest non-governmental organization with 56 chapters and 17,000 members is doing very well politically, spiritually, culturally, educationally and most importantly travelling around the world and advocating for the cause of Tibet.”
“In the exile context, socially, culturally, politically, women had made great strikes with representation in parliament. In education field, women are doing far better than male and also now with the Geshema degree, which will be conferred next year, I think it is a major breakthrough,” Sangay added.
He also called on the TWA to extend its help for those of poverty effecting women, college students and divorced women.
Sangay further condemned rape and domestic violence in Tibetan community and said that exile Tibetan government has zero tolerance against such actions referring to the incidents in Tenzingang, Gopalpur and Mundgod.
The Tibetan Prime Minister Dr Lobsang Sangay, Speaker of Tibetan Parliament Penpa Tsering, former Minister and former President of Tibetan Women’s Association Rinchen Khando attended the inaugural ceremony.
The GBM is held every three years and a new team of executives elected to lead the Dharamsala headquarter of TWA, which supports the Tibetan exile government’s position of Middle Way Approach to resolve the issue of Tibet.
Speaker Penpa Tsering said that it is important for women to not only fight for their rights but also take the opportunities and be responsible in the society.
Former Minister Rinchen Khando said, “Women have always been important in all societies, particularly in this time of our history; women can really contribute a lot. I say this because women have lot of strength if you let it come out. They can really do a lot. But I am not really happy sometimes because we limit ourselves. So, it’s really important that they come out do their best for the cause, besides now our women are so highly educated not like before. So, they have no excuses.”
TWA also awarded several founding members of Tibetan Women’s Association and members who had served for more than 12 years as executive members in both regional chapters and in Centrex.
The meeting will conclude on May 13.
