The conferment of Gyentag by His Majesty The King is a significant achievement for the Bhutanese women. It’s a masterstroke that will go down in the history marking the important roles played by women and recognition of gender equality in our society.

Gyentag is an insignia equivalent to Patang worn by men. Both Gyentag and Patang symbolise responsibilities.  This is a sign of a progressive nation, where continuous efforts are being made to create conducive environment for all Bhutanese to contribute and be recognised for their role in the national building.

The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan and all the laws guarantee equal opportunity to all citizens and call for a merit-based system. Our five-year plans also focus on gender mainstreaming.

Bhutanese women over the years have risen to various posts in the government based on merit through competition along with their male counterparts. Professionally, women are there now in almost all the fields. The opportunity is there for all Bhutanese women to wear orange, red, green, blue and white scarf with Gyentag.

The stage is set for aspiring citizens to pursue their ambition and to contribute towards nation building. Historically, Bhutanese men got advantage of getting into the public service early and occupying most of the senior positions. The reasons are attributed to cultural and physical barriers that favoured men. For example, with no roads those days, our people had to cross many mountains, rivers and valleys on foot for days to pursue modern education outside the country.

Looking at the current situation, there are women in various positions in the public service, namely, minister, dzongdags, members of parliament, gups and mangmis, etc., which is a testimony to the capabilities of Bhutanese women.

However, it does not mean that we have a perfect situation for women at all levels of the society. Various reports and studies have highlighted some of the challenges women face, mostly at the gewog and chiwog levels, which must continue to receive attention from all to empower women.

Our Drukyul, painstakingly built and nurtured by our Beloved Druk Gyalpos and our forefathers, deserve the service of the best of the bests, irrespective of gender, to serve the Tsawa Sum with integrity.

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