The Tibetan Women's Association based in Dharamsala, north India organized a symposium on "Legal Empowerment of Tibetan Women in Exile" at the India International Center in New Delhi from February 3 to 4, 2014.
At the opening of the symposium, Kasur Tempa Tsering, the chief guest and the representative of the Dalai Lama in Delhi spoke on the theme of the symposium and urged the Tibetans living in India to learn about the Indian legal system which is applicable to Tibetans.
"Younger generation of Tibetans who are born and brought up in India have no excuse of not knowing laws of India. Tibetans must learn and pay attention to Indian legal system. Without which many difficulties will come up. For example, the case of more than 200 Tibetan families who have received eviction notice from the forest department of the Himachal State. This is a case of negligence of Indian law. Many such things may come up if we don't pay attention to Indian laws," says Tempa Tsering and continued that not knowing the Indian law by the Tibetans living in India makes it easy for those who wants to create friction in the Tibetan community and also with local people.
Mr. JM Mukhi, Barrister and Advocate at Supreme Court of India spoke on the legal protection of Tibetan women in exile in India.
Ms. Kamla Bhasin, a well known feminist activist and gender trainer in South Asia, spoke on gender equality and women's empowerment in India.
The symposium is organized mainly to finalise the materials for preparing a handbook on laws that are applicable to Tibetans living in India. "The symposium is not about the women's right. It is to prepare and equip the Tibetan women to prepare a better society," says Tsahi Dolma the president of Tibetan Women's Association.
58 participants from 20 regional branches have come to attend the symposium.