Are the Tibetan Women the Backbone of Their Family's Prosperity?

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From the beginning, the Tibetan women have been viewed by males in the culture as a type of second class citizen, even to the point that women were described negatively. The Tibetan women were also seen as seductresses from a man's point of view and were not considered to have the spiritual ways to become enlightened. Questions that will be addressed are since the women take the brunt of the responsibilities, why are they treated as a second class citizen? Why is it that Tibetan women are considered not equal even though they work just as hard or harder as the Tibetan men? Do the men of Tibet fear that the women may have the intelligence to further themselves than what they give credit and continue to keep the women underneath the men? Although being in the shadow of the Tibetan men, are the Tibetan women the backbone of their family's prosperity?

The treatment of Tibetan women seemed very harsh, especially in the early times. The society considered the women to be a demon and wrongdoing trying to take away masculinity from the Tibetan man. Even being a Tibetan goddess had some harsh light which in turn trickled into the human world of negative treatment towards women despite what a woman does for her family. Tibetan women were considered to be in a low status as animals and even considered as property in which they can be bought by the husbands father, brother, or another male within in the family if relatives conduct into criminals acts.

At the beginning of conception, there is much more emphasis placed that a boy should be born into the family. From the start, having a daughter would be considered very unfortunate and is already dis-valued. For instance, in Orgyan Chokyi case, her parents very much did not want a daughter a...

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...http://www.tibetexpress.net/ch/2010-02-04-08-52-30/2010-02-04-11-05-33/191-are-tibetan-women-equally-represented-in-the-decision-making-arena-of-the-central-tibetan-administration

TIBET: Tibetan Women Subjected to Double Oppression http://www.ahrchk.net/news/mainfile.php/ahrnews_200205/2590/

Integration of the Human Rights of Women and the Gender Perspective: Violence Against Women: http://www.ilhr.org/ilhr/regional/tibet/womenrights.html 3/20/2010

Tibet Justice Center: Violence and Discrimination Against Tibetan Women, http://www.tibetjustice.org/reports/women/vii.html

Women Take Part in Economic Construction and Social Development, http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/eng/ljzg/3585/3600/t17991.htm

Logan, Pamela, Women in Kham and Tibet, http://www.khamaid.org/about_kham/articles/women.htm

Tibetan Women, http://mu.chineseembassy.org/eng/zt/xzwt/t152663.htm

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