The difference in the youth unemployment rate among males and females has increased from 0.7 to 3.7 per cent since 2018. This was revealed as the Women, Children and Youth Committee of the National Assembly presented the Report on the Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender Equality, to the house on Friday.
According to the report, the committee found that the female youth unemployment rate of 12.9 per cent is higher compared to the male unemployment rate of 9.2 per cent.
“According to the findings of the report, the labour force participation rate is significantly higher for males at 73.1% compared to 52.2% for female. Female youth unemployment of 12.9% is also higher compared to male unemployment rate at 9.2%. We have also found that women are engaged in lower-quality jobs,” informed Dorjee Wangmo, the Sombaykha MP.
The findings also revealed that achieving gender parity in tertiary education is one of the key challenges. The female enrolment continues to be lower with 85 girls for every 100 boys in Bhutan.
It also revealed that women’s representation at the decision-making level is moderately lower than male counterparts in the parliament with only 15.3 per cent and similarly in local government and executive level.
To address these issues, the Committee made recommendations on the need to establish effective legal and policy framework, promote multi-sectoral coordination mechanism, carry out more awareness and sensitization programmes, capacity building initiatives and mainstreaming gender and child issues in legislation, policies, plans and programme. Likewise, the report also recommended strengthening gender-friendly wellbeing and child wellbeing, promoting job opportunities to reduce female unemployment and to prioritize resources for gender equality and child protection and wellbeing.
Deliberating on the recommendations of the Committee, the House pointed out that there is a need to study the situation of women in detention centres and the safety of women working late.
“I would like to recommend for a separate detention centres for Child and Women in every Dungkhag and Dzongkhag in the country. We have such facilities only in Thimphu but not in other parts of the country. If a woman who has a newborn child and is put under custody, then we should come up with a detention centre whereby both mother and child can stay together,” recommended Dorji Wangdi, the Panbang MP.
It was also brought to the notice of the House that the 12th FYP target of women in parliament of 15.2% has already been met and that the target should be increased to at least 17% or more by 2030. Further, as per the Global Gender Gap Report 2018, Bhutan is ranked at 122 out of 149, which is very low.
The House directed the Committee to further discuss and consider the additional propositions, and frame appropriate recommendations. The House will continue its deliberations on the matter on Tuesday.
Passang Dorji
