National Commission for Women and Children

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

1. "About Us." National Commission for Women and Children, Royal Government of Bhutan.
2. "Royal Government of Bhutan (National Commission for Women and Children) — Beijing+25 national review." UN Women.
3. "National Commission for Women and Children, Bhutan." UN Women Global Database on Violence against Women.