The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) adopted the Tibetan Women’s Empowerment Policy (WEP) in 2008 to promote the empowerment of Tibetan women and girls and enable their equal participation in social, economic, cultural, and political life. The policy marked a historic milestone as the first dedicated policy in Tibetan history focused specifically on the advancement of women.
Womens Empowerment policy
Original Policy
The original policy focused on strengthening women’s participation and opportunities in areas such as education, leadership, health, livelihood, sports, and religious institutions. Guided by this framework, several programs and initiatives were introduced to support women’s development and engagement within the Tibetan community.
Revised Policy
Recognizing the evolving needs of the community, the policy was revised in 2017 to adopt a more comprehensive and gender-responsive approach. The revised policy broadened the scope of work and strengthened the commitment to advancing gender equality, women’s rights, leadership, social development, health, education, economic empowerment, and the prevention of gender-based violence.
Today
Today, the Women’s Empowerment Policy serves as the guiding framework for the work of the Women’s Empowerment Desk (WED) and reflects CTA’s continued commitment to building an inclusive, equitable, and gender-responsive Tibetan society where women and girls can fully realize their potential and contribute meaningfully to community development.