Thesis
The Role Played by Bhutanese Women in Shaping Democratic Consolidation: A Critical Analysis of Political Participation and Political Empowerment in Bhutan
Masters by Coursework, Murdoch University
2025
Abstract
This dissertation critically analyzes the role of Bhutanese women in democratic consolidation through political empowerment and participation. Globally, women’s participation in politics has been universally accepted as critical to the health and representativeness of democratic systems. While there have been gradual improvements, significant gender gaps remain in political representation, especially in leadership positions. In Bhutan, the democratic transition in 2008 was a major political turning point, but women’s participation in government has been disproportionately low. In 2023, women occupied 26.5% of the parliamentary seats, which highlights progress and the need for inclusive leadership. Bhutan’s pre- and post-democratization reveals fluctuating female representation (between 8% in 2013 and 15.2% in 2018) and the disconnect between matrilineal cultural respect and political power. Bhutan’s women’s political empowerment initiatives focus on meaningful influence, but implementation remains inconsistent due to weak structural support, scalability issues, and a persistent rural-urban digital divide. Thus, the dissertation proposes evidence-based recommendations such as binding gender quotas, political leadership development, political party reforms, community mobilization, and economic support mechanisms for promoting women’s political participation. Based on the analysis, the dissertation validates that Bhutanese women are still underrepresented due to deep-seated cultural conventions and institutional bias, with policy actions such as reserved seats and gender-sensitive guidelines inadequately implemented. The final reflection highlights that women’s real political empowerment involves both numerical representation and substantive policy influence, which require a long-term, comprehensive strategy.
Details
- Title
- The Role Played by Bhutanese Women in Shaping Democratic Consolidation: A Critical Analysis of Political Participation and Political Empowerment in Bhutan
- Authors/Creators
- Chhimi Dem
- Contributors
- Anja Reid (Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Murdoch University; Masters by Coursework
- Identifiers
- 991005790472607891
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences
- Resource Type
- Thesis
Metrics
62 File views/ downloads
95 Record Views