Bhutan Moves Forward on Inclusion

Persons with disabilities, senior citizens, women, youth and the LGBT+ community face barriers to effective participation in economic, social and political spheres.  This includes discrimination, stigma, ableism, and unconscious bias. 

At the Annual Consultation on the Common Country Analysis (CCA) and Leaving No One Behind (LNOB) held on July 30, representatives from the Royal Government of Bhutan, civil society organizations, members of marginalized communities, and the United Nations reflected on progress and identified practical ways to ensure that Bhutan’s development leaves no one behind.

At the core of the consultation was the recognition that persons with disabilities, women, youth, senior citizens, and LGBT+ individuals continue to face layered barriers to participation in Bhutan’s social, political, and economic life. These challenges range from stigma, ableism, and structural discrimination, to lack of services and opportunities in rural and remote areas. 

Kinley Phyntso, UNV- LNOB Specialist from the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office said:

“Persons with disabilities, LGBT+ individuals, youth, and women still face many barriers to participation... The UN and the Royal Government are here to change that- through policies, through partnerships, and most importantly, through listening.”

In recent years, Bhutan has made notable achievements; Bhutan adopted a comprehensive National Policy for Persons with Disabilities in 2019, ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2023, and most recently launched an UN-led surge initiative in 2024 to accelerate disability inclusion. Progress has also been seen in gender and LGBT+ rights, including the 2025 National Action Plan to Promote Gender Equality in Public Administration (NAP GEPA) and the gradual strengthening of protections for LGBT+ communities following the 2021 decriminalization of same-sex relationships.

A presentation by the United Nations on the 2025 Common Country Analysis (CCA) highlighted the demographic landscape marked by a declining birth rate, increasing youth migration, and growing aging population, and called for urgent policy responses to address these interlinked trends. 

Lekema Dorji, the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist with UNICEF Bhutan who presented on behalf of the UN CCA Task Force said:

“We’re seeing youth outmigration, a declining fertility rate, and persistent inequality. Our analysis must be grounded in the lived realities of those most often left behind.”

Meanwhile, Palden Wangchuk Dorji of Y-PEER shared how young people in eastern Bhutan feel abandoned by development, with most services clustered in the western region. This disconnect, he explained, is pushing even civil servants to seek better futures abroad. 

“Youth aren’t just leaving because they want to,” he said. “They’re leaving because they don’t see a future here.”

Although Bhutan’s fertility rate has seen a steep decline since the 1980s, participants highlighted that financial incentives alone are unlikely to reverse the trend. Pema Dorji from Queer Voices of Bhutan (QVoB) pointed out that in the absence of childcare support, parental leave, and inclusive infrastructure, starting a family remains an unrealistic expectation for many. This sentiment was shared by Chimi Om of the Phensem Parents’ Support Group, who stressed the urgent need for practical services to support working mothers. Dr. Menakshi Rai of RENEW added that evolving social values, including the growing emphasis on education and quality of life, must be reflected in national policies.

The second session featured Agenda Chikha, Bhutan’s cross-sectoral initiative for disability inclusion, built around four pillars: Empowering Lives, Changing Mindsets, Lifting Our Game, and Building Knowledge. Participants provided feedback on the initiative’s progress and pushed for more ambitious programming. 

The issue of accessibility for persons with disabilities was raised throughout. 

Sonam Pelden, Health Officer with Bhutan Red Cross Society questioned:

“Are our offices even wheelchair accessible? If not, where do we begin?”

The Red Cross, which operates a nationwide network of over 8,000 volunteers, was praised for its “Red Cross Ride for Health” initiative that provides free transport and essentials for persons with disabilities.

The third session of the consultation focused on critical gaps in access to healthcare, psychosocial support, and legal aid for marginalized groups. Bhutan has made notable progress in improving social indicators, but persistent challenges remain, especially for those at the intersection of multiple forms of discrimination. According to the 2017 Population and Housing Census of Bhutan, around 2.1 percent of the population lives with some form of disability, and while exact numbers for LGBT+ individuals are not available, organizations like Queer Voices of Bhutan (QVoB) report increasing visibility and demand for rights recognition. Yet, these communities continue to experience layered exclusions based on disability, gender identity, poverty, and rural residency.

Nalini Andrade, Director for International Development at Humber Polytechnic, raised concern over the overuse of the term "intersectionality" in policy discourse, warning that it often results in diverse groups being lumped into a single category under one limited budget line. This broad-brush approach, she cautioned, undermines the specific and differing needs of each group.

Kinley Phyntso from the UNRCO posed a fundamental question: is Bhutan’s legal and policy system truly inclusive of persons with disabilities and those with diverse SOGIESC (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics) identities? Despite legal reforms, many structural barriers persist. For instance, Principal Dechen highlighted how the lack of sign language interpretation and accessible public information continues to marginalize the deaf community. Similarly, Pema Dorji of QVoB highlighted how queer individuals, especially those living with disabilities and in rural areas, are frequently overlooked in national inclusion efforts. He stressed the importance of recognizing the compounded nature of exclusion- where being queer, disabled, poor, and rural often means being invisible in both data and decision-making processes. Without targeted policies and disaggregated budget allocations, Bhutan’s broader inclusion agenda risks leaving these communities behind.

Emergency preparedness emerged as a critical area where inclusion is often overlooked. In Bhutan, despite ongoing efforts to build resilience against natural disasters and emergencies, the specific needs of persons with disabilities remain inadequately addressed. The country is highly vulnerable to natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides, and the need for inclusive disaster response systems is becoming increasingly urgent.

Currently, Bhutan lacks visual alert systems tailored for the deaf community, and accessible communication tools during emergencies are largely absent. This creates significant barriers for persons with hearing impairments to receive timely and life-saving information. 

Meanwhile, the Bhutan Red Cross Society, with its wide network of trained volunteers, continues to respond actively in both emergency and non-emergency situations. Sonam Pelden highlighted the organization’s readiness to support vulnerable populations, including persons with disabilities and the elderly.

Dr. Menakshi Rai from RENEW added that by the end of this year, community service centers will be operational in all 20 dzongkhags. She said:

“These centers aim to strengthen local-level support for women and children facing violence and other vulnerabilities, contributing to a more inclusive and responsive social protection system.”

The end of the consultation brought the focus back to a critical question: What more can the United Nations do to ensure that no one is left behind? 

For many participants, the answer lies in building deeper, more equitable partnerships, especially with grassroots and community-led organizations that are often sidelined in national policy conversations. Voices from the session emphasized the need to support queer-led groups on par with disability-focused organizations, and to create practical systems that enable inclusion across all dzongkhags.

The consultation ended with a powerful reminder that meaningful inclusion is not just a box to tick, but a commitment that must be embedded in the way the UN, government, and partners work, and highlighted the importance of presence, not just at consultations, but in the lived realities of those most often excluded.

Looking ahead, participants identified several priority actions: strengthening coordination between UN agencies, civil society, and government on LNOB inclusion; ensuring services across all sectors are inclusive of persons with disabilities and individuals with diverse SOGIESC identities, providing sustained support to queer-led organizations, and guaranteeing that all UN-led consultations and programming are safe, accessible, and inclusive.