Bhutan Gender Policy Note

Bhutan has undergone a major socio-economic transformation over the past few decades. Today, as a middle-income country guided by the unique development philosophy of Gross National Happiness, it continues to develop rapidly and become more integra...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author:	World Bank Group
Format:	Policy Note
Language:	English en_US
Published:	Washington, DC 2014
Subjects:	ACCESS TO BANK LOANS ACCESS TO FINANCE ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES ADOLESCENT FERTILITY ADOLESCENT GIRLS ADOLESCENTS AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION ALCOHOLIC BABY BARRIERS TO WOMEN BASIC NEEDS BENEFITS FOR WOMEN BIRTHS BUSINESS TRAINING CAPITAL ACCUMULATION CAREER ADVANCEMENT CAREER DEVELOPMENT CAREGIVERS CHALLENGES FOR WOMEN CHILD CARE COLLATERAL CONTRACEPTION CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS CONTRACEPTIVE USE CUSTOMER SERVICE DAY CARE DAYCARE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES DEVELOPMENT CENTER DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN EARLY CHILD-BEARING EARLY CHILDHOOD EARLY PREGNANCY EARNINGS ECONOMIC DECISION ECONOMIC DECISION-MAKING ECONOMIC DECISIONS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN EDUCATED WOMEN EDUCATION LEVELS EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ELDERLY EMPLOYABLE SKILLS EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN ENDOWMENTS ENROLLMENT ENVIRONMENT FOR WOMEN EQUAL AMOUNT EQUAL EDUCATION EQUAL STATUS EQUAL STATUS WITH MEN FAMILIES FAMILY INCOME FAMILY MEMBERS FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS FAMILY UNIT FEMALE CHILDREN FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS FEMALE LABOR FEMALE LABOR FORCE FEMALE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION FEMALE WORKER FEMALE WORKERS FEMINIST ECONOMICS FEWER WOMEN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FINANCIAL PRODUCTS FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS FORMS OF CREDIT FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION GENDER GENDER DIFFERENCE GENDER DIFFERENCES GENDER DIMENSION GENDER DIMENSIONS GENDER DISPARITY GENDER EQUALITY GENDER EQUALITY ISSUES GENDER GAP GENDER GAPS GENDER INEQUALITY GENDER ISSUES GENDER NORMS GENDER PARITY GENDER PERSPECTIVE GENDER POLICY GENDER PROGRAM GENDER RELATIONS GENDER ROLES GENDER SEGREGATION GENDER STEREOTYPES GENDERS GIRLS GOVERNMENT POLICIES GROUP OF FIRMS HEALTH CARE HOUSEHOLD CHORES HOUSEHOLD MAINTENANCE HOUSEHOLD RESPONSIBILITIES HOUSEHOLD WELFARE HOUSEHOLD WORK HOUSEHOLDS HUMAN CAPITAL HUMAN DEVELOPMENT HUMAN RESOURCES HUSBAND HUSBANDS ID ILLITERACY IMMIGRATION IMMIGRATION POLICY INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS INHERITANCE JOB OPPORTUNITY LABOR FORCE LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION RATE OF WOMEN LABOR FORCE SURVEY LABOR FORCE SURVEYS LABOR MARKET LABOR MARKETS LAND ADMINISTRATION LAND OWNERSHIP LAND RIGHTS LEVEL OF EDUCATION LEVELS OF EDUCATION LIVE BIRTHS LOAN MARRIED MEN MATERNAL MORTALITY MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO MATERNITY LEAVE MIGRATION OF WOMEN MINISTRY OF EDUCATION MINISTRY OF LABOUR MODERN CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS MOTHER NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR WOMEN NATIONAL PLAN NATIONAL PLAN OF ACTION NATURAL RESOURCES NUMBER OF BIRTHS NUMBER OF GIRLS NUMBER OF WOMEN NURSES OLD AGE OLDER WOMEN OUTREACH PARENTAL CARE PERCEPTIONS OF GENDER PERSONAL ASSETS POLICY ENVIRONMENT POLITICAL PARTICIPATION PREGNANCY PREGNANT WOMEN PRIMARY SCHOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL AGE PRIVATE ENTERPRISE PRODUCTIVITY PROGRESS PUBLIC INVESTMENTS PUBLIC SCHOOLS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES ROLE OF WOMEN RURAL AREAS RURAL WOMEN SAVINGS SAVINGS GROUPS SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS SCHOOL LEVELS SECONDARY SCHOOL SELF-EMPLOYMENT SEX SEX SEGREGATION SEXES SMALL BUSINESS SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIAL NORMS SOURCE OF INCOME STAGES OF LIFE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH TEENAGE PREGNANCY TERTIARY EDUCATION TERTIARY LEVEL TERTIARY LEVELS TRADITIONAL GENDER ROLES UNCTAD UNDP UNEMPLOYMENT UNITED NATIONS URBAN AREAS URBAN CENTERS VILLAGE VILLAGES VIOLENCE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION VOCATIONAL TRAINING WAGE DISCRIMINATION WDR WOMAN WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WOMEN IN BUSINESS WORKFORCE WORKING MOTHERS WORKING WOMEN YOUNG COUPLE YOUNG PEOPLE YOUNG WOMEN
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2013/10/18594734/bhutan-gender-policy-note http://hdl.handle.net/10986/16737

Description
Summary:	Bhutan has undergone a major socio-economic transformation over the past few decades. Today, as a middle-income country guided by the unique development philosophy of Gross National Happiness, it continues to develop rapidly and become more integrated into the global economy. Coinciding with its development, Bhutan has also made considerable strides in closing gaps in gender equality. The analysis of the Gender Policy Note (GPN) focuses on specific issues related to economic empowerment. It analyzes patterns related to specific aspects of the economic empowerment of both men and women by applying the analytical framework of the 2012 World Development Report on Gender and Development to the Bhutan context. For the areas of focus, the report examines overall indicators on gender and identifies areas where gender gaps persist: agricultural land holding and inheritance practices, and gender gaps in labor markets and job quality. In Bhutan, most women acquire land ownership through inheritance, particularly in matrilineal communities. Unlike in other countries, the matrilineal inheritance practice offers economic opportunities for Bhutanese women and contributes to their relatively equal status with men. In addition, land holding through inheritance can also affect economic choices, particularly the decision to remain in one's village. Bhutan has made tremendous progress in female labor force participation, but the quality of jobs for women is still an issue. Although women's participation in the labor force has increased, it has not translated into improvements in employment quality. The Labor Force Survey shows that Bhutanese women work in lower quality jobs than men-women who earn income from work outside the home; their earnings are only 75 percent of men's earnings. The report recommends policy interventions in five main areas: first, it promotes equal ownership and agency over land. The policy appears to be working well in most areas of the country, and families are moving toward equal inheritance. Second, women's economic endowment could be augmented to increase labor productivity and earnings. Third, child care, along with vocational and life-skills training tailored for girls could women's access to good jobs. Fourth, social norms that lead to gender inequality could be addressed by promoting a greater role for men as fathers and caregivers and men's participation in housework. Finally, the report recognizes the need to conduct further research to better understand the gender gap in happiness.

Bhutan Gender Policy Note

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