June 23, 2025
THIMPHU – Choden (name changed), a bright fifth-grader, saw her childhood abruptly halted when she was forced to drop out of school, three months pregnant with a secret no child should ever bear.
The devastating truth emerged when she bravely disclosed to the police that her half-brother, a monk, had raped her in their family home in Punakha last year. He has since been convicted of rape and incest and is serving over 11 years in Chamgang jail.
However, for Choden, the trauma persists, and her life has become a daily struggle.
Choden gave birth to a baby girl last November, who is now seven months old. With no means of support, she relies entirely on her elder sister, who recently became a mother herself, and on the kindness of relatives and friends who are struggling to help them both heal and survive.
“I thought I would continue my studies, but I have let go of that idea. I am scared. I think I will have to find a job so I can take care of my baby,” Choden said.
She also finds it difficult to go outside with her child, burdened by shame and judgment. “People stare and gossip. I feel embarrassed to carry my baby out,” she added.
For now, she depends on donations and her sister’s support. “Friends and relatives give clothes for me and my baby,” she said.
Choden’s dream of returning to school and building a better future for herself and her child feels painfully out of reach.
Her story highlights the profound challenges faced by young victims of sexual violence.
In a separate, equally distressing case, a 16-year-old girl is raising a baby born from trauma. She gave birth to a healthy child in January, now almost five months old, but her path to motherhood has been anything but gentle.
Lacking proper clothes for the baby, money for diapers, and often enough food for herself, this young mother is left to fend for both lives alone. Her pregnancy was the result of sexual assault, and she now navigates motherhood in silence with minimal support.
She has survived on donations, including occasional packets of rice, baby powder, and clothes gifted by strangers. Diapers are a luxury she cannot afford, often resorting to rags. Formula is out of reach, and breastfeeding is a struggle due to her own malnourishment. “I eat once a day,” she says. “Sometimes, not at all”.
This teenager lacks a legal guardian actively advocating for her. Without education, income, or access to psychosocial care, she navigates motherhood through instinct and desperation. She depends on her mother, who is the sole breadwinner, working as a daily wage earner, but her income is insufficient for their needs.
This injustice extends beyond personal pain, revealing a system that often fails to protect its most vulnerable: girl-children who fall through the cracks—too old to be pitied, yet too young to be fully responsible.
These are not isolated incidents. Many more girls remain hidden and silenced, pregnant from abuse and left to cope on their own. Despite a legal framework, its implementation remains weak. When families prioritise shame over justice, the survivor is left to bear the burden.
Her baby turned five months old this June, a milestone met with mixed emotions.
“I love my baby,” she says, with tears in her eyes. “But I wish things had been different. I wish I had a choice”.
With her stepfather incarcerated for molesting and harassing her, the responsibility of supporting the family now rests solely on her mother, whose limited income barely suffices.
For now, she takes it one day at a time—feeding, bathing, and singing lullabies. She needs protection and a system that sees her not as a statistic, but as a child failed by many, still fighting to survive.
Survivors, often children themselves, bear the weight of trauma, stigma, and unwanted pregnancies, even as perpetrators are convicted.
In another case, a 16-year-old sixth-grade student from Wangdue was raped by a man in his 50s during her summer vacation. The perpetrator, her neighbour in Punakha, threatened her into silence until her pregnancy was discovered. She gave birth last year.
Teenage pregnancy in Bhutan has reached alarming levels. Nationwide statistics from the Royal Bhutan Police (RBP) reveal a concerning trend, from 2021 to early November 2024, 77 cases of teenage pregnancies were reported. In 2024, 24 cases have been documented, with Trashigang accounting for six. Thimphu and Mongar reported the highest numbers, with 14 and 11 cases, respectively. In 2023, 25 cases were reported, compared to eight in 2022 and 20 in 2021. These cases are most prevalent among young mothers from low-income, often illiterate backgrounds.
Many victims and their relatives interviewed by Kuensel voiced frustration that while suspects are brought to justice, victims are left to bear the brunt of the trauma, often alone, along with their families.
Dr Meenakshi Rai (PhD), director of programmes and services at RENEW, stated that the organisation has been providing continuous support and counseling to the victim throughout her pregnancy, as well as to her parents, who are also experiencing significant emotional and psychological trauma.
“If the victim feels unsafe or requires shelter, we offer logistical support and provide access to services that can help improve her overall well-being and future prospects,” she said.
RENEW operates 13 community centers across the country, with two more planned for Trashiyangtse and Lhuentse.
Despite RENEW’s extensive advocacy efforts, wide network of community centers, and dedicated volunteers, girls in rural areas continue to face traumatic experiences such as sexual violence and teenage pregnancies.
Dr Meenakshi Rai acknowledged that reaching every individual, especially in rural areas, remains a significant challenge.
“Girls and their parents often don’t know their rights or where to seek help. In many cases, social stigma prevents them from coming forward, which makes it difficult for us to even become aware of the issue,” she said.
She emphasised the need for a shift in mindset. “People must feel empowered to speak up and seek support,” she said.
RENEW plans to intensify its advocacy efforts and expand outreach to grassroots levels with the support of local leaders and communities. Dr Meenakshi Rai noted that reaching remote areas is crucial but challenging due to budget constraints and Bhutan’s difficult geographical terrain.
“It takes significant effort and resources to ensure our services reach those who need them most,” she said.
During a recent National Assembly deliberation, Home Minister Tshering said that the National Commission for Women and Children (NCWC), in collaboration with JSW Law School, reviewed the Child Care and Protection Act 2011 and is preparing a legislative proposal for Cabinet approval.
To improve local responses, 20 Community-Based Child Protection Committees (CBCPCs) and 40 School-Based Child Protection Committees (SBCPCs) have been piloted. The 24/7 helpline 1098 remains operational, supported by shelters like PEMA Home and services at the One-Stop Crisis Centre at JDWNRH.
Efforts to prevent re-victimisation include follow-up services, family counselling, and shelter-based reintegration for at-risk children. Police officials stated that upon receiving such reports, they immediately notify relevant authorities, such as RENEW, to ensure victims receive necessary support.
While some local leaders reportedly try to support victims with rations and financial assistance, this aid is not always consistent. However, many survivors interviewed by Kuensel stated they were aware of RENEW and other agencies but chose not to seek help.
When asked why, most fell silent, offering no explanation, only a quiet, unspoken pain that conveyed more than words could.
The Women and Children Division (Secretariat to the National Commission for Women and Children), under the Department of Education Programmes, Ministry of Education and Skills Development, announced on June 14, 2023, that protection and case management services, the Woman and Child Helpline (1098), adoption services, and alternative care services have been officially transferred to The PEMA Secretariat, effective the same date.
Consequently, the NCWC Secretariat no longer provides these services.
Thinley Tobgyel, executive director of Nazhoen Lamtoen, stated, “We have been working with marginalised children and families across six districts—Zhemgang, Mongar, Dagana, Paro, Chukha, and Thimphu—where our case managers are based”.
He explained that case managers work closely with communities to identify children living in difficult circumstances. “Once a child is identified, we engage directly with the family to initiate long-term livelihood support. We believe this approach leads to more sustainable outcomes than short-term assistance like food or clothing donations.”
Since 2018, with support from Save the Children and UNICEF, Nazhoen Lamtoen has reached over 1,500 children and supported 300 families.
“In such cases, we typically help the family establish a livelihood project that they can manage independently. As part of this intervention, we encourage families to deposit Nu 2,000 into a child’s welfare account. Nazhoen Lamtoen does not seek repayment for the business support provided,” Thinley Tobgyel said.
Nazhoen Lamtoen follows a structured six-step case management process that includes psychosocial assessments, intervention planning, and continuous monitoring.
“In cases where a child is found to be in a severely vulnerable situation and it’s in their best interest to be removed from the home, we coordinate closely with government agencies such as the NCWC and The PEMA Secretariat to arrange placement in our shelter home. However, this is always a last resort—only after all community- and family-based alternatives have been thoroughly explored,” Thinley Tobgyel said.
The case management process is designed to ensure survivors and their children receive trauma-informed support, including psychosocial counseling and reintegration services tailored to their unique circumstances.
Dasho Dechen Wangmo, head of The PEMA Secretariat, affirmed that services for rape survivors, especially those who become pregnant, are tailored to their individual needs, identified through thorough assessments by Protection Officers.
These services are designed based on a comprehensive psychosocial evaluation of each survivor’s risks and requirements. The service flow for rape survivors begins with initial contact and preliminary assessment to identify immediate risks and needs, within 5 hours for emergency cases and 24 hours for moderate ones. If necessary, survivors are removed from unsafe environments and placed in safe settings.
This is followed by comprehensive assessment and individualised case management, including access to medical care, counseling, shelter, legal aid, livelihood skills, and reintegration programs. Pregnant survivors receive additional support for medical follow-ups and transportation to health centers when needed.
Family intervention is a key component, as building family support often helps reduce risk factors. In many cases, initially unsupportive families become more engaged after understanding their role in the survivor’s recovery.
Family needs are also considered as part of the case management process. The PEMA Secretariat recognises that effective survivor support requires collaboration, coordination, and avoiding duplication of services. Rather than replicating existing efforts, the Secretariat fills service gaps and partners with relevant agencies.
It works closely with RENEW for women and shelter-related cases, engages RENEW case managers in communities, and coordinates with health centers for medical services. Child-focused support is provided in collaboration with Nazhoen Lamtoen.
Referrals and reporting are facilitated through direct channels like helplines and email. The Secretariat also partners with the judiciary, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), Education and skilling agencies, local governments, and ministries, ensuring each agency contributes based on the specific needs of survivors.
Dasho Dechen Wangmo emphasised family intervention and reintegration.
“There is no better place than family and home for any survivor. Removal from the family is considered as the final option only if safety is at stake. Separation from the family is not encouraged, so the case management system considers options for family support,” she said.
When family members pose risk factors, a temporary removal is considered to de-escalate the situation, and family interventions are provided. The PEMA Secretariat will not establish shelters for women, as RENEW already provides such services.
Dasho Dechen Wangmo stated they are careful not to duplicate established services in the country. After a service gap analysis, they found no shelters providing services for abandoned infants and emergency de-escalation homes. The PEMA Home will cater to the needs of children requiring immediate safe accommodation. The PEMA Home is a transitional home, not a long-term shelter.
The PEMA Secretariat’s protection services are exactly two years old since their transfer from NCWC in 2023. Given this timeframe, the PEMA Secretariat believes significant progress has been made in turnaround time and service coordination. Recognising that gender-based violence (GBV) is a multifaceted issue, responsibility extends beyond The PEMA Secretariat, NCWC, RENEW, RBP, and the health sector.
“We need to work on reducing re-victimisation and re-traumatisation, for which building the capacity of service providers is crucial. While we need to have services and specialised service providers in place, prevention must be at the core of our efforts,” Dasho Dechen Wangmo added.
The PEMA Secretariat delivers care along a four-pillar continuum: the Prevention and Engagement Pillar prioritizes proactive education; the Response Services Pillar provides rapid, comprehensive crisis support; the Treatment and Rehabilitation Pillar links survivors to specialised clinical care; and Reintegration and Aftercare Programmes offer skills training and ongoing support for those unable to reintegrate independently. Survivors move through these tiers as needed, and the system continues to strengthen through inter-agency coordination.
Kezang Dukpa, chief counsellor of the Response Pillar at The PEMA Secretariat, said referrals aim to provide psychosocial support, reduce harm, and empower survivors and their families. Services follow a trauma-informed approach and are tailored to individual needs—some survivors require only support and guidance, while others receive counseling, psychiatric care, and reintegration through case management.
Specialised mental health care is provided by trained professionals.
While The PEMA Secretariat and other agencies offer vital services to bring hope and protection, many young girls continue to suffer in silence.