BACKGROUND

Nutrition, Water and Sanitation

HIV/AIDS

Supportive Environment for Women's Employment

CEDAW

The present educational structure in Bhutan consists of one-year pre-primary (PP), six years primary, two years Lower secondary school, two years Middle Secondary School, two years Higher Secondary school and three years degree program. The entry age while joining pre-primary is six. Dzongkha, the national language and English are the medium of instruction throughout the Kingdom.

As of 2005, Bhutan has 221 Community Primary Schools, 92 Primary Schools, 78 Lower Secondary Schools, 29 Middle Secondary Schools, 19 Higher Secondary Schools and 19 Private Schools. There are 18 other educational institutions including the vocational training institutes and tertiary institutes under the Royal University of Bhutan. The education program also includes non- formal education which has shown a drastic expansion from 6 centers in 1992 to 623 centers in 2005.

[Source: General Statistics 2005, MoE]

In the past, families preferred sending boys to school because of the long distance to schools and hardships involved. Also traditionally daughters were looked upon to remain home to manage the household. Gradually these notions have been changing and the growth of women's participation in all levels of education has been increasing significantly.

Also educated girls are beginning to choose more untraditional careers. In 2003, women accounted for 36% of the total of 4,746 teachers in Bhutan, 22% of the 446 students at the Royal Bhutan Institute of Technology (RBIT) and 40% of the 467 students at vocational training and construction training institutions.

[Source: Royal University of Bhutan , Staff and Student statistics, April 2005]

The ratio of girls to boys has been steadily rising from 69 girls to every 100 boys in 1991 to 95 girls to every 100 boys in 2004 at the primary level. This is largely due to the fact that female enrollment in primary schools has been growing faster by an average of 2.4 % each year over male enrollment over the last decade.

Similarly, at the secondary level, while in 1991 there were only 43 girls to every 100 boys, in 2004 there were 96 girls to every 100 boys This is a significant increase in the female enrollment at the secondary education level and given the current higher enrollment rates and better efficiency indicators for girls at primary levels, gender parity at the secondary level is likely to be attained very quickly.

At the tertiary education level, while in 1991 there were only 12 girls for every 100 boys, in 2004 there were 53 girls for every 100 boys. Although significant progress has been made at this level also, special attention and interventions must be made to attain full gender parity at the tertiary education level by 2015.

[Ref: MDGs, Progress Report 2005, Bhutan ]

Non-Formal Education was started in 1992, by the Dzongkha Development Commission (now known as the Dzongkha Development Authority) and the National Women's Association of Bhutan (NWAB). In 1994, it was formally transferred to the Education Division.

Non-Formal Education started with 6 centers with 300 learners in 1992 and has since grown to 623 centers with 16,642 in 2005, with learners spread across the country especially in the rural areas. This represents an annual average growth of over 36% over the last 13 years.

[Source: General Statistics, 2005 MoE]

Since its inception, women have overwhelmingly benefited from the national non-formal education programme. In 2005, there were 11,919 female learners out of 16,642 total learners. This shows that over 71% of the learners are women.

[Source: General statistics 2005, MoE]

Until early 1996, the NFE centers provided only basic literacy courses. As of December 2004, 166 of the total 621 NFE centres provide post literacy classes. The m majority of women in NFE programs are between the ages of 15 to 26 years.

[Source: General statistics 2005, MoE]

The objective of the government is to have the entire population literate in Dzongkha by 2012 by establishing more NFE centers. Another strategy is to recruit more female NFE instructors as role models for rural women. A curriculum for adult education has also been developed with materials on agriculture, environment and health and sanitation. For rural parents, the non-formal education program takes a more holistic approach by including topics like parenting, child care, family planning and basic health care in its curriculum - all targeted at empowering rural communities to live better and healthier lives.

In Bhutan, health care is free and provided through an extensive network of primary health care centers and some special vertical health programmes. The government gives special attention to women's health, particularly reproductive health. The country is also a signatory of CEDAW that upholds the right of women to receive appropriate health services during their pregnancy, period of confinement and access to adequate natal care.

Bhutan has come a long way in improving the health of mothers in the country. General developments such as the enhanced socio-economic wellbeing of the population, improved health standards and better access to and quality of reproductive health services, including prenatal care are attributes to this achievement.

The popular advocacy for the improvement of maternal and reproductive health goals have always been actively promoted at the highest levels, notably by His Majesty, His Holiness the Je Khenpo, and Her Majesty the Queen, Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, the UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador.

Family planning is of critical concern in Bhutan because of the high population growth rate and it receives attention at the highest level. Nearly all women have knowledge of at least one modern family planning method 30. About 41% of married women use some form of contraception; 50% in urban areas, 30% in rural areas and 44% among road workers.

In 2000, the total fertility rate was 4.7 children per woman of reproductive age, down from 5.6 in 1994. The general fertility rate was 142.7 for 1,000 women of reproductive age, down from 172.7 in 1994. This is however specifically targeted under the 9 th Five Year Plan to reduce the fertility rate to below 3 and population growth to less than 2%.

About 85% of births still take place at home, most often under unhygienic conditions. Poor transport and communication infrastructure hamper referral to health units with essential obstetric services. Trained deliveries in 2002 accounted for about 29% of all births but antenatal attendance at clinics was 39,451 cases, which means there were on average 3.7 antenatal visits per pregnancy.

In villages, many pregnant women do not receive adequate rest as they continue to do demanding physical work late into their pregnancies and resume work almost immediately after delivery. Pregnant women and children have been made a specific target groups for information programs and under the expanded immunization program. In 1988 the National Assembly resolved that all pregnant mothers and children should be immunized, with the mothers receiving tetanus toxic. Information and safe delivery kits on diarrhea diseases, acute respiratory infections, safe motherhood and reproductive health are also distributed nationwide.

[Ref: CEDAW, the Report on Kingdom of Bhutan 2003]

Between 1990 and 2000, the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) per 100,000 live births was reduced from 560 to 255. This reduction over a short period of time is a significant achievement though MMR is still very high in the country. However The MDG target of reducing the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) by three quarters to 140 or less per 100,000 live births is well on track.

A significant challenge that remains for reducing maternal mortality is the low levels of births attended by skilled health personnel.

Some of the main causes of maternal deaths in Bhutan between 2004 and 2005 according to the medical investigations points to postpartum haemorrhage, pulmonary oedema, obstructed labour, sepsis and eclampsia.

In the 1980s, a programme to involve women as village health workers (VHWs) was promoted. Today about 67% of VHWs are women. This program was initiated by the royal government to increase the proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel. Furthermore, services like antenatal, intra-paetum and post-natal care are being continuously provided to improve maternal health. The government has also set up 20 basic, fully equipped Emergency Obstetric Care Centers (EMOCs) and 9 CEmOC centers.

A technical committee known as the Maternal Mortality Committee has been formed to review all cases of maternal mortality and provide a more accurate insight and other relevant details of maternal mortality in the country. This is an additional facility to improve the monitoring and evaluation environment on maternal mortality.

[ Ref: CEDAW, the Report on Kingdom of Bhutan 2003, MDGs, Progress Report 2005, Bhutan ]

Although there is no widespread hunger in Bhutan, food shortages, infections, poor dietary habits and child care practices are areas which still need attention. It has been observed that certain parts of the country experience transient food insecurity and seasonal hunger. Nutrition issues are cross gender and do not specifically target women and girls.

The 1996 Iodine Deficiency Diseases (IDD) study revealed a total goiter rate of 14% and iodized salt coverage of 82%. Since iron deficiency is still prevalent among pregnant women, 160mg elemental iron per day is prescribed to all pregnant women. This continues into the lactation period. In 2002, the government launched a National Breastfeeding Policy that increased paternity leave from 1 to 3 days and provides one hour of flexible breast-feeding time daily for lactating mothers who are employed. The SAARC Code for the Protection of Breast-Feeding and Young Child Nutrition was also ratified by the National Assembly in 2003.

The Government hopes to achieve 100% access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities by 2007. Women are specifically targeted to benefit from rural water supply schemes. With 84% of the country's population now having access to safe drinking water, the target of reducing by half those without access to safe drinking water has thus already been achieved.

In 1990, 33% of the country's population did not have access to basic sanitation. The figure was reduced considerably to 12% by 2000. Compared to the rural residents urban residents have relatively better access to basic sanitation.

[Ref: CEDAW, the Report on Kingdom of Bhutan 2003, MDGs, Progress Report 2005, Bhutan ]

The number of detected HIV positive cases in the country has risen significantly from 38 in 2000 to 74 as of October 2005 out of which 7% of the total detected cases acquired the infection through vertical transmission from mothers. Currently 36% of those detected with HIV/AIDS are below the age of 26 years. The proportion of infection is almost equal in both sexes (39 males and 35 females).

The HIV/AIDS infection in the country remains at a relatively low level. However the country is concerned of a potential high risk due to the close proximity to a region with a high incidence of HIV/AIDS. The increasing number of sex workers from across the border, the high mobility across borders, the relatively common incidence of sexually transmitted diseases, the emerging issue of substance abuse and the country's young demographic profile are some of the risk factors.

Bhutan has initiated a vigorous HIV/AIDS prevention campaign. Screening of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases through the Mother and Child Health programme and the public health laboratory has been ongoing for several years.

[Source: CEDAW, the Report of the Kingdom of Bhutan , 2003].

Bhutanese women in general enjoy substantive freedom and equality in all fields of economics, social and also political life. Traditionally due to the lower number of women's participation in the Labor force Bhutanese women were mainly subjected to household responsibility. This however changed with time and in 2003, female labor participation stood at 54% as compared to 72.5% for men showing women's shift of responsibility from the traditional ethics and at almost at par with men in becoming bread earners. The annual labor force surveys further reveals the fact that a larger number of women work primarily in the agriculture sector than men which constitutes about 87% of the employed women to the 69.9% of men. This is also however a clear indication that unemployment rates for female on the whole are much higher than for the males.  

Although, in general, Bhutanese women enjoy substantive freedom and equality, their employment ratio has been comparatively less than men across all sectors of economy in the country. Female participation in the labour force has traditionally been lower due to the fact that a significant number of Bhutanese women are engaged in family responsibilities. Women's household responsibilities and their relative lack of education have hampered their opportunities for employment outside the home.

In 2003, female labour force participation stood at 54% as compared to 72.5% for men. Women also have a slightly higher unemployment rate (2%) as compared to men (1.6%).

[Ref: MDGs, Progress Report 2005, Bhutan ]

As shown in figure 1 below, in urban areas women only constitute 28% of the labour force as compared to 72% for men, whereas in rural areas, women constitute 48% of the labour force as compared to 66% for men. In Thimphu , 47.2% of women were employed and in Phuentsholing 45.8% were employed. Of all employed Bhutanese, both rural and urban, 45.5% are women.

[Ref: CEDAW, the Report of the Kingdom of Bhutan , 2003]

Figure: Male and female labour force participation, 2004

[Source MoLHR ,2004]

Figures regarding private businesses present a much more positive picture with virtual parity in the number of trade and hotel establishments run and operated by women. Notably, some of the most successful entrepreneurs and business leaders in the country are women. However there is a need for targeted interventions to bring gender parity in employment across all sectors of economy.

Men significantly outnumber women in all sectors of paid employment. The latest figure shows that there are 16,615 people in the civil service, of which only 28% are women. The majority of women are found at lower levels of the civil service and very few women hold senior grades. Bhutan appointed 2 women in 2003 at the Secretary level - as Foreign Secretary and Finance Secretary. Women also comprise 30% of the total 56 officers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Within the judiciary, there are only 4 women lawyers. Also More than 100 women have joined the Royal Bhutan Police in recent years.

Bhutan has been striving hard to increase the female employment ratio and bring gender parity in the country through various policy formulations. Women have the right to employment and of equal pay for equal work. This is enshrined in the civil service rules, which are gender-neutral regarding pay, hiring, training, promotions and benefits.

The civil service rules allow 3 months of paid maternity leave for each of 3 pregnancies. Paternity leave in the civil service has recently been increased to 3 days from 1 day in the past.

Although, women's participation in the modern economy is today still modest because of lower education and consequent lower skill levels, with the rapidly increasing and improving education and literacy attainments for women, women's participation in the labour force is expected to change quickly and improve as women will expect and want to participate more fully and actively in all sectors of the economy. However, this requires serious and focused attention and possible targeted interventions for the upliftment and advancement of women if the country is to achieve the full measure of gender equity in the employment sector.

[Ref: CEDAW, the Report of the Kingdom of Bhutan , 2003]

It is recognized that women's participation in decision - making is inadequate in the country. Female membership in the National Assembly, Dzongkhag Yargay Tshogdus (DYTs) and Geog Yargay Tshogchungs (GYTs) is still very low. Today, only 8 of the 100 chimis in the National Assembly are women. Out of 201 gups in the country today there is only one women gup. Within the Judiciary there are only 4 women lawyers in the country.

[Source: National Assembly of Bhutan , Royal Court of Justice]

It is the men who usually occupy local public offices such as gup, chimi, mangiap and tshogpa. Women do, however, participate in the election of gups and chimis. They also actively participate in public village meetings sometimes representing 70% of the participants. Decisions concerning the community are taken in these meetings and matters of national importance are routed through the GYTs and DYTs and finally to the National Assembly.

It is still widely felt among rural women that “women are not taken so seriously” and that “men make important decisions better”. The inability to read and write, to be informed and speak about issues has been cited as one constraint among rural women to representation in local bodies.

Women's participation in decision-making at all levels needs to be looked into seriously. As highlighted in the Royal Decree issued in 1998, women's participation in the decision-making process can and must be significantly enhanced. With the rapidly improving education and literacy attainments for women, this situation is expected to change quickly as women will expect and want to participate more fully and actively in all areas and levels of socio-economic and political life.

[Ref: CEDAW, the Report of the Kingdom of Bhutan , 2003]

All Bhutanese are equal before the law. All individuals are entitled to equal protection and without discrimination. Any person whether a man or a woman, can institute court proceedings if she or he believes her/his rights have been violated. Traditional customs tend to favour women in the area of inheritance. In the matrilineal family system in western and central Bhutan land is inherited through the mother. In the south and east, patrilineal inheritance is generally the norm.

[Ref: CEDAW, the Report of the Kingdom of Bhutan , 2003]

In 1995 under the Royal Command of His Majesty the Druk Gyalpo, the High Court started drafting the Penal Code of Bhutan. The Bhutan penal Code was passed by the National Assembly in the year 2004.

The Penal Code is the consolidation of sections from then existing Acts dealing with criminal offences. It is intended to reinstate dignity to the victims of crime and increase the possibilities for rehabilitation of offenders.

The Bhutan Penal Code includes specific provisions regarding juvenile delinquency and mental disability, sexual offences against children, offences against infants, children, mentally disabled and incompetent persons and several provisions dealing with offences involving minors.

The Civil and Criminal Procedure Code also contains explicit provisions to ensure juveniles the right to privacy, the right to defence and the right for adult accompaniment during the trial. It also provides possibilities to allow juveniles to go home after advice/admonition or release on probation based on a series of factors. Section 213.2 of the code provides guidelines for the court in determining sentence for juveniles.

The National Commission on Women and Children is collaborating with the Royal Bhutan Police and the Royal Court of Justice on the development of women and child friendly procedures.

The Marriage Act of Bhutan, 1980, covers separation, adultery, and divorce and child custody.

According to the Act, either women or men may initiate the divorce and be held responsible for compensating their partner. Both men and women can remarry without social prejudice. The mother is awarded custody of children of less than 9 years of age, regardless of who has initiated or has caused the separation. After the children have reached 9 years of age, they have the choice to live with either one of the parents. The father must provide child support allowance either as per negotiated terms, or pay 20% of his monthly income for each child up to a maximum of 40% till the child/children reaches 18 years of age.

The legal age for marriage for both sexes was raised in 1996 to 18 years -previously it was 18 for males and 16 for females.

In cases of adultery, the person who commits adultery must pay compensation to the aggrieved spouse and this holds the same whether it is a man or a woman. The Act also protects an unmarried woman who becomes pregnant. The man who is responsible must pay for all medical expenses, and provide 20% of his monthly income as child support allowance.

The National Assembly of Bhutan resolved in 1988 to permit adoption when it is registered through a court of law. This ensures that the child assumes full benefits under the Inheritance Act and that she/he is entitled to register as a Bhutanese citizen.

The Bhutan Citizenship Act, 1985 came into force on 10 th June 1985. According to this Act, Bhutanese citizenship can be acquired:

•  By birth, if both parents are citizens of Bhutan

•  By registration, if the person was officially registered in the census and living in Bhutan before December 31, 1958, which is the date of the first Citizenship Act.

•  By naturalization, if the person is 21 years old (15 years if one parent of the child is a citizen); can speak, read and write Dzongkha proficiently; and have good knowledge of the culture and traditions of Bhutan.

The Citizenship will be granted if:

•  A person whose application for naturalization has been favourably considered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.

•  A person has received a Kashog (A Royal Decree) form His Majesty the King of Bhutan.

The Citizenship will be terminated if:

•  Any citizen of Bhutan acquires the Citizenship of another country.

•  Any citizen of Bhutan who has acquired citizenship by fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact.

•  Any citizen of Bhutan who is disloyal to the King, Country and the People of Bhutan.

•  Any citizen of Bhutan who leaves the country of their own accord and with the knowledge of the Royal Government of Bhutan.

The Inheritance Act of Bhutan, 1980 came into force on 1 st October 1980. The Act includes rights and restrictions on inheritance, procedures for transactions of inherited properties, procedures for transactions on inheritance on separation of a living member, procedures for inheritance in case of divorce, procedures for making a last will and testament and procedures for transactions of properties by members of a joint family.

Any citizen of the country can inherit property according to the Inheritance Act, 1980.

The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is the international agreement adopted in 1979 by the UN General Assembly. It consists of a preamble and 30 articles, defining what constitutes discrimination against women and setting up an agenda for national action to end such discrimination. As such, CEDAW is often described as an international bill of rights for women. By accepting the Convention, countries commit themselves to undertake a series of measures to end discrimination against women in all forms, including:

•  To incorporate the principle of equality of men and women in their legal system, abolish all discriminatory laws and adopt appropriate ones prohibiting discrimination against women;

•  To establish tribunals and other public institutions to ensure the effective protection of women against discrimination; and

•  To ensure elimination of all acts of discrimination against women by persons, organizations or enterprises.

Bhutan signed CEDAW on 17 July 1980 with the UN and ratified it on 31 August 1981 without any reservations.

After the ratification, a committee was formed to monitor the implementation of the Convention. It has done three studies on health, water and sanitation, and education. In 2001, the Planning Commission Secretariat was appointed as the focal point for coordinating gender matters in the country. Subsequently, a gender theme group was formed to further enhance mainstreaming of gender issues through greater sharing, learning and capacity building.

The Royal Government of Bhutan has taken numerous measures to harmonize national laws and policies with the provisions of the Convention. Many of the principles of CEDAW are already integrated into the country's national laws. However, gender mainstreaming across sectors has been slow because there is a tendency to view women issues as separate and isolated issues.

“The purpose of this Convention is to promote cooperation amongst Member States so that they may effectively deal with the various aspects of prevention, interdiction and suppression of trafficking in women and children; the repatriation and rehabilitation of victims of trafficking and prevent the use of women and children in international prostitution networks, particularly where the countries of the SAARC region are the countries of origin, transit and destination.”

The Convention calls for the State Parties to prevent trafficking of women and children in any form and ensures that trafficking in any form is punishable under the State Law. It also ensures that the State parties protect and maintain the confidentiality of the child and women victims of trafficking and that they are provided appropriate counseling and legal assistance. It calls for State Parties to sensitize their law enforcements agencies and judiciary to prevent and interdict trafficking of women and children.

The Convention encourages State Parties to promote awareness of the problem of trafficking in Women and Children and its underlying causes through the use of media. In case of cross- border trafficking, the State Parties should make suitable means for the repatriation of the victims to the country of origin and provide legal advice, health care facilities to the victims.

The Convention also calls for the State Parties to adopt in accordance to their respective constitutions, the legislative and other measures necessary to ensure the implementation of the Convention.

Bhutan ratified the convention on 4 th September 2003.

The SAARC Code for the Protection of Breastfeeding and Young Child Nutrition was adopted by the SAARC Member countries in August 1996 at the 3 rd Ministerial Conference on Children of South Asia that took place in Rawalpindi, Pakistan from 20 to 22 August 1996.  

The purpose of this code is to protect breastfeeding and child nutrition by educating health workers and the public about the benefits of breastfeeding and by regulating the marketing and promotion of infant and complementary foods and related products.

The Code urges the member countries of the SAARC to formulate their policies towards educating health workers, students and members of the public about the benefits of breastfeeding and appropriate child feeding practices and the hazards of using infant milk, foods and related products.

The Code also covers information and education on breastfeeding and child nutrition, labelling of infant milk, food or products, the responsibilities of health workers and prohibitions of undesired promotion of infant milk, food or products.

The Beijing Platform for Action is an international guideline for women's policies. It was adopted in 15 th September 1995 during the Fourth World Conference on Women that took place in September 1995 in Beijing, China.

The Platform for Action is an agenda for women's empowerment. It aims at accelerating the advancement of Women and removing all the obstacles to women's participation in all spheres of public and private life through a full and equal share in economic, social, cultural and political decision-making. The Platform seeks to promote and protect the full enjoyment of all human rights and the fundamental freedoms of all women throughout their life cycle.

The Platform for Action also proposes strategic objectives for the critical areas of concern with concrete actions to be taken by all the various actors in order to achieve these objectives.

The Platform for action also emphasizes on institutional and financial arrangements for the purpose of the empowerment and advancement of Women in all areas of life.

The National Women's Association of Bhutan (NWAB) was established in 1981. Its mandate includes:

• improving the living standards and socio-economic status of women,

• Encouraging women to take part in socio-economic development programmes and in other nation building activities.

The NWAB has more than 400 voluntary members and 17 staff. In collaboration with various government agencies, it has-over the years-trained more than 14,000 women in weaving, knitting and tailoring. It has installed more than 14,000 fuel-efficient smokeless stoves in rural areas and given collateral free loans to more than 1500 women in 6 eastern districts of the country. The association is also involved in sponsoring the education of underprivileged children nation-wide.

Contact Details:

Dasho Dawa Dem, Secretary

National Women's Association of Bhutan Post Box 379 , Thimphu Bhutan Ph#: +975 2 323083/322910 Fax: +975 2 323732

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Tarayana Foundation is a non profit NGO organization founded by Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuk in 2003. The organization helps the needy, poor and socially and economically disadvantaged people in the country through expenses and sponsorship, maintenance allowances for people living in difficult circumstances, sponsor students in disadvantage circumstances, supporting needy patients to receive medical care and other charity works. It also promotes artisan skills and helps to generate income in poor communities through the sales of crafts at the folk craft houses.

Contact Details:

Tshering Yangzom

Location: 147 Zomlha Complex PO Box 2003
Thimphu Bhutan Ph#: (02) 329333 Mobile : 17603507
Fax: 331433
Email: tarayana@druknet.bt 
 tarayana_bhutan@yahoo.com

URL: www.tarayanafoundation.org

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RENEW is a non-profit NGO organization established in March 2004 under the leadership and guidance of Her Majesty the Queen Ashi Sanjay Choden Wangchuck. It is dedicated to the relief and empowerment of disadvantaged women and adolescent girls in Bhutan and to integrate them back into their own communities as independent, socially and economically productive members of the society.

Contact Details:

Tshering Dolkar

RENEW P.O. Box 1404 Thimphu
Bhutan Ph# +975-2-332158/332159
Email: renew@druknet.bt

Web: www.renew.org.bt

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The Youth Development Fund is carrying out an increasing number of activities to care for the disadvantaged. For example, YDF funds the disabled centre, Drak-Tsho, and a rehabilitation centre, REWA for drug abusers in Thimphu . Destitute families are also receiving more attention with the establishment of NGOs like the Tarayana Foundation.

Contact Details:  

Tashi Choden

Dept: - Youth Development Fund
Ph#:- 02-322250/327483 (fax)
Mobile : 17604137
Email: tashichoden@druknet.bt

Web: www.youthdevfund.gov.bt

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The Youth Development Fund is supporting a drop-in centre in the capital, Thimphu, for people trying to combat drugs, alcohol and substance abuse. The Centre, REWA (meaning Hope), was opened in December, 2004, and aims to promote treatment and rehabilitation for alcohol and drug dependency and to provide support to alcohol and drug/dependent persons and their families. Three types of programmes are offered by REWA: a day programme, a drop in programme, and counselling. REWA has so far referred three persons to rehabilitation programmes in neighbouring India and are counselling six youths. Eight youths are enrolled in the day programme and some parents have also come seeking help for their children and information about rehabilitation. REWA members also visit police stations to talk to youths caught in connection with drug abuse.

Contact Details:  

Ugyen Dorji and Nidup

Location: Plot No 2, below Kuenga Zokhang,
Opposite MTI P.O Box 255 , Thimphu Ph#: (02) 333303
Mobile : 17608475 (Ugyen Dorji)
Email address: rewa@druknet.bt

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The Royal Bhutan Police are continuing in their efforts to make police procedures more child friendly, emphasizing the need to be prompt and sensitive in response to investigations and receiving of complaints. The RBP has plans to establish a women and child protection unit in Thimphu. Many policemen also provide advice and counsel to children in conflict with the law.

Contact Details:  

Lieut. Karma Rigzin

Dept: RBP, Crime Branch HQ, Thimphu
Ph: 322347/ 322348/ 321148 (F)/17618459
Email: krigzin@yahoo.com

Web:

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The HIV/AIDS Counselling Centre is presently located in the MKTS Shopping Complex, 1 st Floor opposite Clock Tower in Thimphu City. It provides information, counselling and guidance in HIV/AIDS to the public in particular and looks into health related issues in general. It also provides support and help to the HIV/AIDS patients.  

Contact Details:  

Jurmi Dukpa

Location: MKTS Shopping Complex,
1 st Floor ,Ph#: +975-2-334715 ,Mobile : 17630856

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Career Education and Counselling Division under the Dept. of Youth And Sports is focussed on the youth related development programmes. The division carries out the following youth related programmes:

•  School Based Parenting Education and Awareness Programmes

•  School Based Vocational Clubs

•  School Based Career Education And Counselling Programmes

•  Comprehensive School Health Programmes

Contact Details:  

Joint Director

Career Education and Counselling Division

Location: Opposite Bhutan Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Ph#: 325177,Fax: 332251 ,
Email: ycdchead@druknet.bt