Bhutan’s first woman Gup: paving the way for women leaders
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When 28-year-old Namgay Peldon was elected as the Gup of Tashiding Gewog in Bhutan's Dagana district, she made history by becoming the first woman block leader since the country first went to the polls in 2008.
Gewogs are official administrative units in Bhutan, each headed by a Gup. It hadn't been easy, but her victory has inspired other Bhutanese women to venture out and participate in the political and administrative affairs of the state.
Recent research, supported by UN Women, shows that 57 per cent of Bhutanese women would like to join politics but are held back by their responsibilities as mothers and housewives.
And, as Gup Namgay Peldon attributes her win to the overwhelming support she received from the people in her village, she is now determined to do the same for others…
Full story at: http://www.unwomensouthasia.org/2012/namgay-peldon-bhutan%E2%80%99s-first-woman-gup-2/