Tibetan Women's Association honors 50 years of Tibetan Women's Freedom Struggle
Fifty years ago, Tibetan women, often uneducated and without political experience, spontaneously rose in defiance of tyranny. As the Chinese solidified their occupation, over 15,000 Tibetan women assembled on March 12, 1959, speaking out for peace, justice, and freedom in a non-violent expression of resistance that marked the birth of the Tibetan Women's Association (TWA). In defense of nation, culture, and family, these women braved unspeakable horrors to emerge as the mothers of a global movement.
Fifty years later, the struggle continues and Tibetan women continue to step forward, meeting each challenge with resilience, faith, and dedication. On March 12, 2009, the TWA honored not only the martyrs of the Tibetan Women's Uprising, but all Tibetan women; from the patriots and warriors, educators and politicians, to the mothers, doctors, and caregivers that sustain Tibetan culture and society.
An all day affair held at the Tsulagkhang, the commemoration provided, for the first time, a comprehensive account of the Tibetan women's movement, a historical record that serves to preserve the legacy of the women's struggle, to honor the sacrifices made, and to educate the younger generation. Attended by roughly 1,000 individuals representing nations from around the world, and covered extensively by international media, TWA's Fiftieth Anniversary provided an opportunity to showcase not only Tibetan women and the Tibetan cause, but the empowerment of women globally.
The morning public commemoration began with the singing of the national anthem, followed by the TWA anthem and a two-minute mourning for the women martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the cause of Tibet. The chief guest for the morning Kasur Rinchen Khando la, the first president of Tibetan Women's Association, following its reinstatement in India, in 1984, graced the occasion and paid tribute to the selfless dedication of the Tibetan women in the freedom struggle. The vice-Chairman of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, Mrs Gyari Dolma spoke vehemently about the accelerating role of Tibetan Women in the freedom struggle. Three accomplished women; Mrs. Rinchen Khando la, (the former Minster of Education, Tibetan Government in exile), Zhu Rui (accomplished Chinese writer) and Neeru Vora (Gandhian and a long time Tibetan supporter) released a dove each, symbolizing the freeing of the Tibetan people who have withstood the decades of Chinese Government's repressive rule and essentially to represent the regaining of peace and freedom inside Tibet.
Following the opening ceremonies, TWA unveiled a new photo exhibition consisting of 151 pictures detailing the initial inception, the re-establishment in exile, and the growth of the organization into a global entity. From rare documentation of the 1959 Uprising, to initiatives and programs undertaken this year, the photo exhibition provides a complete illustration of TWA initiatives and accomplishments in domestic and international politics, social welfare, and cultural preservation arenas.
In conjunction with mixed media presentations, TWA launched a total of seven new publications in Tibetan, Chinese, and English language. The flagship release, Breaking the Shackles: 50 Years of Tibetan Women's Struggle, chronicles the history of the TWA and the women's movement in general.
In line with TWA's continued support for the female monastic community, Tibetan Nuns: The Status of Exiled Tibetan Nuns in India presents, for the first time, a comprehensive account of the educational, social, and political conditions of Tibetan nuns in exile. Built primarily upon 300+ surveys conducted within the exiled nun population and augmented by TWA's own analysis and policy prescriptions, this volume work provides some of the first research into this neglected field.
Dedicated always to the liberation of the Tibetan people in Tibet, TWA also released a completely updated and revised fifth edition of it's seminal work on Chinese birth control policy and the violation of Tibetan women's fundamental reproductive rights. Exhaustively researched, Tears of Silence: A Report on China's Birth Control Policy in Tibet explores the present day realities for Tibetan women within Tibet, detailing official Chinese policy, continued human rights abuses, and the tragic implications upon Tibetan society.
In honor of the sacrifices and struggles of Tibetan women through the years of the occupation, TWA launched two new publications centered upon the lives and experiences of women who defied Chinese authority. A Voice that Remembers: The Life Story of Ama Adhi is the first Tibetan language translation of the biography of Tibet's longest serving female political prisoner. Chronicling her youth, arrest, 27 year incarceration, and subsequent escape into exile, this volume provides an essential piece of Tibetan history and speaks for a generation of women born in Tibet who continue to fight for freedom and justice.
Light in the Abyss: The Drapchi 14 details the lives of Tibet's famed 'singing nuns', this work provides biographical material on all fourteen nuns, including information on their current situations.
In Memory of the Martyrs: The Autobiography of Noryon Dewang, is the account of one of TWA's founding mothers. It chronicles her birth in Tibet in 1921, to her rise as a resistance leader in exile and champion of women's rights.
TWA also presented Chinese journalist, Zhu Rui's Response to China's 'White Paper on the Protection of Tibetan Culture', a scathing indictment of official Chinese propaganda and the gross distortions of truth that constitute the core of Chinese government publications. Presented in Chinese language and aimed at furthering understanding of Tibetan culture within the Chinese population, this work draws extensively from Zhu Rui's firsthand experiences as a journalist posted in Lhasa.
TWA also organized a public participation art piece, allowing participants to express what the Tibetan women's struggle means to them. TWA provided all the materials, along with one-meter-by-one-meter blocks of white canvas. Artists of all ages and nationalities took part, creating a thirty meter wide banner to be displayed at the Tsulagkhang temple.
The commemoration concluded with a candlelight vigil and the screening of A Quiet Revolution, a film produced and directed by Rosemary Rawcliffe for Frame of Mind Films and part of the Women of Tibet trilogy. Spanning interviews of three generations of Tibetan women, the film presented rare footage of the 1959 Women's Uprising, along with a chronicle of Tibetan women's experience in exile.
The day-long event set the stage for a new phase in the Tibetan freedom struggle where the young Tibetan people especially Tibetan women are geared up to take the leads and strive hard till the Tibet crises sees a practical redemption.