Founding and History: The Tibetan Women’s Association was established in Tibet on March 12th, 1959 in response to the illegal occupation of Tibet by Communist China. On Women’s Uprising Day, thousands of Tibetan women gathered in Lhasa to protest peacefully and faced brutal treatment by Chinese troops. The TWA was officially reinstated on September 10th, 1984 with the blessing of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and now has over 20,000 members and 58 branches worldwide.
Objective: The primary objective of TWA is to raise awareness about the abuses faced by Tibetan women in Chinese-occupied Tibet, including restrictions on religious, political, social, and cultural freedoms, and forced birth control policies. In exile, TWA places a great emphasis on preserving and promoting Tibetan culture, religion, and identity and serves the Tibetan community through various activities addressing social welfare, education, the environment, and political and social empowerment of women.
Functioning: TWA functions as a democratic organization with elected members serving fixed terms on the Central and Regional Working Committees. The headquarters of TWA is located in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala and serves as the center for issuing guidelines and directives to branch offices for coordinated activities.
Focus: The focus of TWA is on the empowerment of Tibetan women and the preservation of Tibetan culture and identity, both in Tibet and in exile. Through raising awareness about the abuses faced by Tibetan women and serving the Tibetan community, TWA strives to promote the well-being of the Tibetan people as a whole.