The National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) is an autonomous agency of the Royal Government of Bhutan, established in 2004, responsible for protecting and promoting the rights of women and children, coordinating gender and child policy, and reporting on Bhutan’s commitments under CEDAW and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC) is an autonomous agency of the Royal Government of Bhutan responsible for protecting and promoting the rights and wellbeing of women and children. It coordinates gender- and child-related policy across government, advocates on women's and children's issues, and serves as the national reporting body for Bhutan's obligations under international human-rights conventions.[1]
Establishment and mandate
The Commission was established in 2004 as the country's National Women's Machinery, with a mandate to coordinate, monitor, report on and advocate for gender and child interventions. In 2008, as its responsibilities grew, it was upgraded to a fully autonomous agency under the Royal Government.[1]
Bhutan ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in 1981 without reservation and the Convention on the Rights of the Child; the Constitution recognises CEDAW as a deemed law and directs the state to eliminate discrimination, trafficking and violence against women. The NCWC's work is framed by these instruments and by the domestic legislation that gives effect to them.[2]
Gender-based violence
Addressing gender-based violence is a central part of the Commission's remit. Its 2017 nationwide study found that 44.6 per cent of women — more than two in five — had experienced one or more forms of partner violence (physical, sexual, psychological or economic) in their lifetime, a finding that has shaped subsequent policy and service provision.[3] The NCWC coordinates referral and protection services and runs awareness and prevention programmes nationwide.
References
- "About Us." National Commission for Women and Children, Royal Government of Bhutan.
- "Royal Government of Bhutan (National Commission for Women and Children) — Beijing+25 national review." UN Women.
- "National Commission for Women and Children, Bhutan." UN Women Global Database on Violence against Women.
See also
National Land Commission of Bhutan
The National Land Commission (NLC) is Bhutan's apex land-administration authority, established as an autonomous agency in 2007 under the Land Act of Bhutan 2007. Through its secretariat it maintains the national cadastre and land-ownership records (thram), conducts survey and mapping, and administers land registration, transactions and resettlement across all twenty dzongkhags. It completed a nationwide cadastral resurvey in 2010 and introduced an online land-transaction system the same period.
politics·3 min readNational Environment Commission (Bhutan)
The National Environment Commission (NEC) is the apex environmental policy body of Bhutan. It traces its origins to the National Environment Committee created in 1989 within the Planning Commission, was upgraded to an independent National Environment Commission in 1992, and acquired its current legal mandate under the National Environment Protection Act 2007. The NEC is chaired by the Prime Minister and is the principal locus of environmental clearances, climate policy and the country's carbon-negative commitment.
politics·6 min readNational Council of Bhutan
The National Council (Dzongkha: Gyelyong Tshogde) is the upper house of Bhutan's Parliament, composed of 25 members — 20 elected from the 20 dzongkhags and 5 eminent persons appointed by the King. Established by the 2008 Constitution as a non-partisan house of review, it scrutinizes legislation passed by the National Assembly.
politics·5 min read2008 National Assembly Elections
The 2008 Bhutanese National Assembly election was the first democratic election in Bhutan's history, held on 24 March 2008. The Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT), led by Jigme Thinley, won 45 of 47 seats in a landslide victory over the People's Democratic Party (PDP). The election marked Bhutan's transition from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democratic monarchy.
politics·5 min readNational Security Act of Bhutan 1992
The National Security Act of Bhutan 1992 (NSA) is a sixteen-section statute enacted by the National Assembly on 2 November 1992. It criminalises treasonable acts against the Tsa-Wa-Sum (king, country and people) and remains the principal charging instrument used against long-term political prisoners drawn from the Lhotshampa community.
politics·10 min readNational Statistics Bureau of Bhutan
The National Statistics Bureau (NSB) is Bhutan's central statistical agency, responsible for the Population and Housing Census, the Bhutan Living Standards Survey, the Statistical Yearbook and the Labour Force Survey. It traces its origins to a small statistical cell created in 1971, was renamed and granted autonomy in 2003, and has operated under successive National Strategies for the Development of Statistics.
politics·5 min read
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