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Situated in the Himalayan region between India and China, Bhutan is a poorly developed country. Surprisingly, the country was ranked the 8^th happiest country on the list of happy countries in the world compiled by University of Leicester. Low literacy rate, low rate of industrialization and zero exposure to foreign culture have enabled the country to keep its domestic culture and natural beauty intact.The irony is that the women of this happy country are not so happy because domestic violence is very common in Bhutan.

The worst thing is that the women who are victims of domestic violence do not go to the police. They are afraid of losing respect in the society. In many cases, women are illiterate and entirely dependent upon their husband for financial support. In addition, many women can not leave the family for their children. Silently they tolerate the brutal torture of their husbands. Kuensel Online reports:

“Most Bhutanese women just won’t shout for help, no matter how severe it gets,” said an observer. Bhutanese women, as in other countries, says Thimphu referral hospital’s Dr. Pakila Drukpa, do not want to come out in the open for various reasons. Factors like children’s welfare, fear of breakdown of marriage, and an innate embarrassment that relatives and others will come to know, influence their decisions, said Dr. Pakila.

The worst affected are those who were economically dependent on their husbands, said a spokesperson of RENEW, a non-government organisation, which provides support and services for victims of domestic violence.

The good thing is that the situation is changing. With the gradual spread of education and various NGO’s, women especially those who are living in urban areas have become conscious. Now, they seek legal counsel against domestic violence. The queen of Bhutan, her majesty Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck, established an organization named RENEW which deals with domestic violence.

Domestic violence can be more or less found in almost all the countries of the world but it is more common in under-developed countries. Last year, Razib Ahmed published another post about the crown prince of Nepal abusing his wife.

One of the major reasons the abusive husbands go unpunished in countries like Bhutan is that the social system and customs support men. Creating law against home violence is not enough. It has to be made sure that the law is strictly observed and at the same time awareness against violence has to be raised among women.  

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Kuensel Online