The national conference on women adopted the Thimphu Declaration, which calls for actions to ensure 30 percent women candidature both in the upcoming parliamentary elections and the 2021 local government elections.
It also calls for actions to increase the number of women executives or leaders in the civil service or public service by 25 percent in the next eight years.
With three goals and eight measures to help advance gender equality in governance, leadership, and politics in Bhutan, the Thimphu Declaration essentially cover ways and means to increase women participation in decision making at both national and local government levels.
The Executive Director of Bhutan Network for Empowering Women, Phuntshok Chhoden said they are calling on the media, civil society organization, government agencies, political parties or local government to have their own Thimphu declaration. “We are also looking at the 3rd parliamentary election. That is where we want to see difference in terms of women representation. ”
To achieve the Thimphu Declaration goals, eight measures have drawn. These include reviewing electoral and other relevant policies, laws and regulations; adopting gender equality policy; and proposing Local Government election campaign fund.
The Declaration also requires political parties to revisit and commit to mainstream gender in their charter and manifesto, carry out gender responsive advocacy especially by media and civil society organizations, enable gender responsive election environment to increase voter turnout, and to create a system where women leaders in different offices mentor other aspiring women candidates. The three day conference ended yesterday.
