University of Melbourne student taking classroom conversations to influence public policy in Bhutan
Alison Ofotalau
Something is happening in Bhutan – a country considered as one of the newest democracies in the world and cares so much about the gross national happiness of its people. In recent months, the people of Bhutan have engaged in a public debate that resulted in the revocation of a dress code policy for women. This short-lived policy required the women of Bhutan to wear a particular piece of ceremonial clothing called the Ada Rachu. Rachu is a scarf generally worn on the left shoulder with the national dress at important official or cultural occasions. It is worn to show respect when one is in the presence of state officials. Similarly Bhutanese men wear a Kabney.
The Ada Rachu (pictured in this article) is specifically designed with verticals stripes and is believed to have cultural significance. It was the only design that women had worn in the past. However, over the years, the culture of wearing women’s Rachu has changed. Numerous other choices of patterned Rachu were available to the women of Bhutan, in addition to the Ada Rachu. Despite its cultural significance, the Ada Rachu was never imposed on women as the only ceremonial scarf they wear to formal events. They were free to wear any pattern of scarf, as well as the Ada Rachu.
This freedom was briefly intercepted on April 27, 2016 when the Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs of Bhutan declared in the national media that the only scarf women should place on their formal attire is the Ada Rachu. That news was initially met with silence and acceptance. Bhutanese are generally happy, kind and accepting people. Any sort of activism that amounts to a public display of opposition to the Government is rare. Bhutanese have long been used to this level of political correctness that it is almost rude or disrespectful to challenge the decisions of those in authority. This, however does not mean that people do not form their own opinions on issues.
This news did not sit well with one person, Nima Tshering - a graduate student at the University of Melbourne. Nima is studying towards a Master’s degree in Social Policy on an Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarship Program of the Australian Government. One of the subjects he took towards his Master’s degree was the Gender, Globalisation and Development subject. Nima said this subject really changed his world view on the issue of gender. The classroom conversations that he was part of had opened up a new framework through which he sees himself in relation to the men and women of his country. He learned that in gender, one is not born male or female. The more he was challenged, the more he immersed himself in a process to unlearn long held beliefs, perceptions and attitudes towards what it really means to be man (male) or woman (female).
Nima said by closely studying the works of feminist scholars like Raewyn Connell (2009), and Simone de Beauvior (1949), he learned of the difference between the concepts of femininity and masculinity, and of being man or woman. Simply put, man or woman is not a pre-determined state, but one becomes a man or woman through a process of social construction. Men are able to perform their roles as men, only by coming through this social construction process, and the same goes to women. The perceptions of which roles men should play and which ones are roles for women are shaped and learned through this process of social construction.
‘This was a moment of awakening for me’, Nima reflected. ‘This new frame of looking allows me to see something was odd about the news that women in Bhutan were to wear a particular design of scarf, regardless of whether they have an opinion on it or not. It was a gender issue, where you have men deciding what women should wear without any prior consultation or asking them how they feel and think about it’, Nima said. He felt he had to do something about it. ‘I wanted to start a conversation on the Ada Rachu issue as a gender issue… to take the conversations I was part of at the University of Melbourne to Bhutan’.
Armed with this new knowledge, he was confident the time was right to get people to start talking about the way they are affected by such decisions. He then sent an essay he wrote for his Gender, Globalisation and Development class to Kuensel, the most influential and widely circulated newspaper in Bhutan for publication. The essay topic was on ‘the social construction of gender roles’. Kuensel ran the essay as an opinion piece, and that culminated into a national conversation on the issue of Ada Rachu and shared decision making in Bhutan.
His opinion piece attracted a national discussion on social media, the broadcast media and the newspapers. Surprising even to Nima was the fact that men dominated the discussion against the unilateral decision on the Ada Rachu. The Bhutanese Cabinet responded by revoking the Ada Rachu rule. Nima attributed this victory to the men and women in Bhutan who were willing to exercise their democratic freedom of expression. Nima was mindful not to base his argument on culture, saying he wanted to make it more an issue of gender and shared decision making rather than an issue of culture because the Ada Rachu rule affected half the population of Bhutan – the women. That does not mean he dispels culture. According to Nima, culture is important and is still a part of people’s lives. ‘While the Government has an important role in preserving culture, it has to play that role through a consultative process that represents the different groups in society’, he said.
Nima said he was inspired by a promotional television advertisement which the University of Melbourne produced last year on the theme, Where Great Minds Collide. ‘Universities are a place where knowledge is created and debated. But if that knowledge is not taken out of the university classroom, it serves no purpose and is no use to anybody’, he said. ‘Connecting knowledge to the real world is very important. When people do not have a conceptual framework to link their ideas and opinions to, they can only voice their opinions through gossip or by getting angry’. Nima admitted he was able to see the Ada Rachu issue through the gender lens only because of the knowledge he acquired from University. ‘Otherwise, I would say things like, this is not fair, but I won’t be able to say why,’ he said.
Reflecting on his personal learning at the University of Melbourne, Nima said the human mind has this amazing capability to learn and unlearn at the same time. Breaking with our own stereotypes and assumptions is possible if we allow ourselves to experience that process’. Nima looks forward to returning to Bhutan at the end of his studies to serve his country by strengthening democracy through critical engagement. He said Bhutan is a young democracy, but also a close-knit society with a culture of silence. He sees critical engagement as an important strategy for breaking with the silence.
Dr Dolly Kikon coordinates the Gender, Globalisation and Development subject at the University of Melbourne. She was glad that Nima Tshering connected his assignment with debates and dialogues back in his country, Bhutan. Emphasizing on her teaching philosophy, Dr. Kikon said, ‘I strongly encourage students to be committed and engaged citizens. Their intellectual conversations and exciting ideas should go outside the classrooms and connect with the real world. After all, transfer of knowledge and communicating information should not be limited to the classroom. Students should be able to incorporate their lived experiences as practitioners or professionals and effectively build upon the classroom readings and debates. This is the key to have an enriching university experience’.
Dr Kikon said she always remind students that the opportunity that comes along with a university degree should make them committed and responsible to contribute towards a just and progressive society. This includes, among other things, the ability to be open to new ideas and participate in policy conversations like we have seen in Nima’s story. ‘As a teacher and scholar I believe that our intellectual integrity should go beyond the academy because we are all equally responsible to contribute towards our larger society’.
Dr Kikon also noted that it was wonderful to see how University of Melbourne attracted students from developing countries like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Maldives, and the Pacific Islands. Such a diverse group of international students, according to Dr Kikon, was a delight. She hoped that the University of Melbourne would continue to value its international student community and the richness and intellectual stimulation they bring with them.
About the writer: Alison Ofotalau is a University of Melbourne graduate student in the Masters of Development Studies Course. She comes from Solomon Islands and is studying under the Australian Government’s Australia Awards Scholarship Program. Alison has worked as a journalist in Solomon Islands and in the pacific region for over 15 years. Prior to coming to University of Melbourne, she had served for four years as Communications Specialist for the World Bank’s Country Office in Solomon Islands.
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