Dasho Dawa Dem, the first female Ramjam appointed by the Third Druk Gyalpo passed away on 15th February at the age of 74. She passed away at the Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital.
Dasho Dawa Dem was born in 1944 and was one of the first Bhutanese to attend modern school in Haa. Thereafter, she pursued her education in several schools in India under the Royal Government Scholarship. She also pursued a diploma course in English language and protocol in Australia.
Dasho Dawa Dem began her career in His Majesty’s Secretariat in 1965.
His Majesty the Third DrukGyalpo bestowed her with the honorific title of Dasho in 1967 on her appointment as the first female Ramjam in Thimphu. She went on to serve in various capacities in the civil service including Chief of Protocol and Royal Advisory Councilor.
She also served as the Head of the National Women Association of Bhutan (NWAB) established in 1981.
Dasho continued to work actively towards women’s welfare, particularly in rural Bhutan, even after her retirement from NWAB in 2009.
In a news release, the Privy Council of Bhutan described late Dasho Dawa Dem as the first prominent female bureaucrat who contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the country. Her outstanding service to the country for the past 44 years is an inspiration for all Bhutanese women, stated the release.
