Namgay Peldon: At the cusp of Bhutan’s revolution

[UN Women South Asia]

History was created in 2008 when the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan ended more than a century of royal rule and moved towards a democratic system of governance. Three years later, another milestone was achieved when 28-year-old Namgay Peldon got elected as the Gup of Tashiding Gewog located in Dagana Dzongkhag. Namgay is the only woman to be elected as a Gup in Bhutan, ever since the nation went to polls in 2008.
 

Namgay attributes this win to the overwhelming support she received from the people in her village. Namgay had been working as a non-formal education instructor in Bhutan for over ten years. It was during this period that she established a close rapport with the residents of her village. Namgay’s keen interest in the decision making process at the local government level coupled with the encouragement and backing of the villagers motivated her to contest for elections against the former Gup and emerge victorious
In a land where male members dominate the entire social system, Namgay’s win is another step towards Bhutan’s gradual transition towards a more gender responsive system of governance. She is an inspiration for all Bhutanese women. She has motivated them to venture out and participate in the political and administrative affairs of the state.
A male government official who has been working under Namgay is full of praise for his leader. ‘Though she is a woman, till now I have not seen any difference between her work and the work of a male gup. She is handling all the activities that a male gup would perform. She takes full responsibility of all her actions’’, he says.

The residents of Namgay’s district appreciate the contribution made by their new leader.
To empower elected representatives about the system of governance, orientation programmes are organized regularly. These officials are familiarised with the basic rules, regulations and procedures of the local government and also the work of different departments and agencies. This training helps to educate them about the financial norms, budgeting, allocation of funds and anti-corruption practices. On the issue of women empowerment, the Chief Programme officer working with the Capacity and System Development Division of the Department of Local Governance feels the funds allocated by UN Women would help to sensitise people about gender responsive governance. ‘’With these funds, we would like to send government officials for training on gender equality. We would also like to work with the National Commission for Women and Children to encourage women leadership at the local level.’’  he says.
With support from male representatives, woman leaders are slowly gaining a foothold of their own. There are a lot of responsibilities on our heads, there is a lot of work to be done. Sometimes there are difficulties but I manage, says a woman government official with a smile brimming with confidence.
Even the Bhutanese men are slowly changing their conservative outlook. ‘I work under a male gup and whenever I face any problem, he is always there to help me. We both work together and come out with a solution’’, she says.