03/11/2025
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ง
Mongar, November 3 2025 โ RENEW, in partnership with UNICEF Bhutan, has opened three new Women and Girls Safe Spaces (WGSS) in Mongar, Pemagatshel, and Samdrup Jongkhar, expanding access to critical protection services for survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). With these additions, 14 dzongkhags across Bhutan now have established Safe Spaces providing psychosocial, legal, and livelihood support to women and children affected by violence.
According to the National Health Survey (NHS) 2023, two in five women in Bhutan have experienced intimate partner violence in their lifetime. Vulnerability is highest among women aged 20โ24, those with lower secondary education, working women, and those living in rural areas.
The same survey highlights widespread use of violent discipline against children โ 82% of children aged 1โ14 were subjected to physical punishment in the month prior to the survey. Nearly 30% of caregivers still believe physical punishment is necessary. Despite the prevalence, three-quarters of women survivors never seek help, citing stigma, lack of services, and weak coordination among support systems.
To address these gaps, RENEW and UNICEF have established RENEW Community Centres, which serve as both safe spaces and community service hubs. Since 2021, these centres have reached over 100,000 people through awareness programs on gender-based violence (GBV), domestic violence (DV), and violence against children (VAC).
Findings from the NHS 2023 also underscore persistent acceptance of wife-beating across dzongkhags. In Samdrup Jongkhar, 42.5% of rural women and 51.8% of women in the Thromde agreed that a man has a valid reason to hit his wife. In Pemagatshel, the acceptance rate was even higher at 52.9%, the highest among the three districts. In contrast, Mongar recorded a lower acceptance rate of 29.4%, suggesting more progressive attitudes but still showing that nearly one-third of women justify violence. These findings highlight the continued need for community-based awareness and behavioral change programs to challenge entrenched gender norms and promote respectful, non-violent relationships.
RENEWโs Executive Director Tshering Dolkar emphasized that the expansion of the centres reflects a โdeepened commitmentโ to bringing services closer to vulnerable populations and strengthening prevention efforts. With five more centres in the pipeline, RENEW aims to cover all 20 dzongkhags nationwide.
UNICEF Bhutanโs Deputy Representative Fawzia Hoodbhoy reiterated UNICEFโs support, noting that while Bhutan has made โincredible progress,โ women and girls still face barriers rooted in social and cultural norms.
Moving forward, RENEW and UNICEF plan to expand services to include digital literacy and climate-resilient livelihood programs, enhance community engagement by involving men and boys as allies in ending GBV, and strengthen policy advocacy in collaboration with NCWC, The Pema Secretariat, civil society, and local governments.
Through these efforts, the organizations aim to build a sustained, community-driven protection system ensuring that no woman or child is left behind.
