From Resilience to Leadership: Lily Wangchuk on Building a Gender-Responsive Democracy in Bhutan

Lily Wangchuk was the first woman in Bhutan to lead a political party as President of Druk Chirwang Tshogpa (Bhutan Social Democratic Party). She is also a former Bhutanese diplomat, recipient of the Lions Club Award for Outstanding Diplomat and author of Facts about Bhutan – Land of the Thunder Dragon (2007). With extensive experience working across UN agencies and Bhutanese institutions, she is a leading voice on gender equality, wellbeing, and inclusive economic and political development.

In this Worth Asking interview, Lily Wangchuk reflects on her journey into public service and politics, shaped by grassroots work, personal resilience, and Bhutan’s evolving democratic landscape. She speaks candidly about women’s political participation in Bhutan, the structural and socio-cultural barriers women face, and the role political parties and media must play in creating more inclusive leadership. Drawing from her lived experience, she offers a powerful message to young women on believing in themselves and stepping into politics as an act of nation-building.

Hi Ms Lily Wangchuk, it's a pleasure to speak with you for our Worth Asking Interview Series. Could you share with us your journey into public service and politics in Bhutan? Was there a moment that inspired you to choose politics as a career?

Lily Wangchuk: In 2006 when I joined UNDP in Bhutan, was the first time I believe I truly got gender sensitized. I say this because until then, I was always under the impression that gender equality means equal opportunity for men and women and we have equal opportunities in our country. Our constitution says that there should be no discrimination based on sex and equal opportunities are to be provided for men and women. But on the field, I understood that gender equality is not just equal opportunity, but it also means equal participation, equal benefits, and equal impact. And working at the grassroots, I recognised that while there were equal opportunities, in terms of equal participation and benefit, that was where the challenge lies. Since then, I have been a strong advocate for gender equality and women's empowerment.

In 2011-12, I was diagnosed with cancer and as I was battling with cancer, I was deeply reflecting and introspecting my purpose in life and if life is worth fighting for? At the same time, the country was gearing up for the 2013 election. A young group of men who at the time did not know about my cancer, came to my house asking my help with the formation and registration of a political party. They wanted me to play a lead role in the party, and I felt honored. For a young democracy, women in Bhutan were still far behind in leadership roles. 

I was convinced, I needed to leave my comfort zone, step into the political arena and be a voice of women, youth and work towards gender responsive policies. Since I was still recovering, my doctor did feel discouraged and thought of campaigning impacting my health did cross my mind but I was very motivated by purpose. Being faced with death, I felt if I kicked the bucket now, I would have not made any contribution in my lifetime.

I had just four months left before the election to compete with old political parties. We not only succeeded in building a country wide presence, forming a political party, but we also succeeded in getting registered.

Building on your personal story, how did your surroundings, community, and upbringing shape your priorities and approach to leadership?

Lily Wangchuk: I was raised by a single widowed mother who is an embodiment of strength. She successfully instilled in me core values and a strong sense of responsibility, shaping me into the person I am today.

In terms of leadership, a great source of inspiration for me has always been our monarchs. We are where we are today because of their valuable contribution. The Fourth King, for instance, introduced the concept of Gross National Happiness. The leadership of the Fifth King is equally selfless and compassionate. We are also inspired by our Queen Mothers, who are actively involved in social welfare activities and advancing the empowerment of women. We have many role models in our country; we don't have to look beyond our borders.

Furthermore, Bhutan is a largely Buddhist country that places great importance on compassion and the law of Karma. We all believe we are here to contribute towards a better world and impact lives positively. Drawing inspiration from my mother, our benevolent monarchs, the Queen Mothers, and an enabling environment with equal opportunity for both men and women to leave their comfort zone and participate in politics—that is where I have drawn my inspiration.

Could you tell us more about women's political participation in Bhutan specifically, what you see as both the challenges and the opportunities?

Lily Wangchuk: That's a great question. Bhutan made its political transition in 2008, and in the years since, especially since the 2013 election where I was leading a party that fielded the highest number of female candidates, we've seen a noticeable shift. More women are actively choosing to leave their comfort zone and participate in politics. I believe people's perception of women in leadership has also changed over the period of these three elections, which is an encouraging sign of a transitioning Bhutanese political landscape with a growing focus on encouraging women in politics.

However, despite this progress, several major barriers make the political journey harder for women. The biggest, I believe, is a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem. This is often tied to subtle socio-cultural norms and upbringing, where the traditional role of women as homemakers and mothers still prevails in many communities. This can lead to a fundamental lack of belief in one's capability for leadership.

We also can't ignore the double and triple work burden. When you are a mother, a wife, and a daughter, you have significant social and family obligations that restrict your freedom of choice and the time you can dedicate to politics.

Additionally, there are still socio-cultural barriers. Even with efforts to encourage women, a general lack of public confidence—from both men and women—persists regarding female leadership. They tend to believe that women are more emotional, indecisive, or simply not as capable. This lack of perceived support can be very discouraging.

Finally, we see differences in networking and a bias within political parties. Men tend to network more and have broader circles of friends and contacts, which proves very helpful during elections. Women often have smaller social networks. Political parties also tend to favor male candidates, viewing them as more "winnable" and capable of securing a higher number of votes, which means that even when a female candidate has a strong interest, the opportunity may not be given to her.

You mentioned political party bias as one of the major barriers. In your view, what changes can political parties or institutions make to be more welcoming and supportive of women in leadership?

Oh, political parties can play a major role. First of all, it's very important to realize that democracy is all about parity of representation. The more diverse the group—in terms of gender, age, and background—the more inclusive the party approach and policies are going to be. If that diverse group goes on to form the government, it will have a greater social impact by creating inclusive policies for all sections of society. That is truly key.

The challenge is that the majority of men within political parties are not gender sensitized. For them, gender equality still means only equal opportunity, and they believe the opportunities are there, but women are simply "not coming forward." As a result, parties often don't make an effort to bring more women on board. They look at potential candidates, compare a male and a female candidate, and immediately focus on the one with the larger network, who is considered more "winnable" and likely to bring in more votes during the primary election. This is where political parties can play a major role—they need to look at the bigger picture and how diversity benefits the party and the nation. I believe this dynamic may eventually fall into place if we see more political parties with female leadership; when I was leading a political party, we had the highest number of women, about 30% women candidates in my party.

Another influential structure is Media. In what ways could Media contribute to strengthening women’s political participation and leadership?

Media can definitely play a major role in addressing mindsets and those subtle socio-cultural barriers that women face in leadership positions. However, currently, we have a young media in Bhutan that is not yet too gender sensitized. This means we don't see many media reports focusing on the importance and need for women breaking barriers or women's empowerment. Their reporting tends to take a very gender-neutral position. In fact, there's not much focus on women's leadership and women in politics as such; their reportings are largely gender neutral and gender blind. Additionally, with a lot of fake videos that may be put up online , there are chances that women could become victims if there are no strong policies and laws in place to, you know, to provide adequate protection, especially during the election period.

What message or advice would you give to young women in Bhutan who are considering a career in politics?

I would like to share that if you want to see change, you have to be part of that change. To be part of change, it is really important that young women in Bhutan should leave their comfort zone, step into the political arena, and embrace politics. With your voice and your participation, we can contribute towards gender-responsive policies and an enabling environment for women. If we have these in place, we can work towards a Bhutan that enjoys the full participation of both men and women, who can bring on board a diverse set of ideas, skills, and contributions. It is truly key that women take up their responsibilities in being part of nation-building. The most important thing is believing in yourself, because if you believe in yourself, you will succeed in your mission.

Thank you for being our guest today. As a final thought, is there anything you would like to share about your experience, how you find being a woman leader and politician, or your journey in politics?

I find it very encouraging that international data and research have proven that women make very good leaders when given the opportunity. It would therefore be highly desirable for Bhutan to work toward encouraging more women in politics so that we see more women taking up leadership roles in the future. This will help us create an environment that is truly responsive to all sections of society.

Credits

Interviewee: Lily Wangchuk

Interviewer: Ragini Puri

Series: Worth Asking 2025-26

Editor: Sugandha Parmar

Image Credits: The photographs are taken from LinkedIn, X and Kalinga Literary Festival Website.

Design & Layout & Social Media Outreach: Riya Hira

Stay tuned for more Worth Asking Interviews.

This interview is a part of the Worth Asking Series 2025-26. The series aims to bring conversations with women in politics about politics as a career choice and with men politicians about their role as allies.

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Read previous interviews in the Worth Asking Series,here.