Women and the issue of human rights

The issues of women have been soundly raised to the level of social consciousness, theoretical conceptualization, political and development action in very few countries. In fact, women, especially in the context of developing countries, are discriminated and are made the target of the ‘discrimination’ from the womb itself.

The high ritual and other values attached to son treats daughter as inferiors. They are deprived from all ranges of equal rights such as the economic, cultural, social, political and civil. Actually, human development is only a wishful thought unless discrimination between man and women is ended.

So here the obvious question is— why are the women’s economic & social condition not improved much despite frequent attempts made at national and international levels to perk-up their situation thereby bringing them to the mainstream of development?

In the context of Bhutan, the absolute regime does not allow the operation of independent media and human rights organisations. All media houses are still strictly under the government control. The international media bodies are strictly barred from entering into Bhutan. Not only this, the government churns out glossy picture of the economic indicators at the international arena. About 90 % of Bhutanese women are busy in their household works. They are forced to spend their whole life in these sorts of activities only.

Due to the lack of adequate and proper knowledge one plays vital role to haul another woman in the society. Indeed, Bhutanese women want to practice the access of laws written in CEDAW. They are no less in terms of setting their mind to participate in international women organizations.

It is a matter of known fact that Bhutan tops the list on women’s sexual exploitation among other countries in the south Asia region.  But, hardly any information reaches the world outside.  They are continuously humiliated and suppressed. Behind the government rhetoric of good governance, widespread incidents of female abuses and their sexual exploitation are hidden.

Meanwhile, many women in the refugee camps are neglected and discriminated from their rights. There are even ample instances of refugee women, who get married with the locals, being exploited.

The long tenure stay inside the unimproved refugee camps has generated different problems—it has been woeful neglects that everyone has lost their hopes to back to their homeland, Bhutan.

Now-a-days the situation is getting more complicated. There is divided opinion among individuals. The time is almost late but not too late for all Bhutanese women to get united and raise the voice for their right and justice, however, this is not only for women but for all Bhutanese as well.