In momentous news for Bhutan’s LGBTQI+ community, Pride Bhutan has been granted approval by the district administration as a community-based organisation (CBO). This makes them the first ever LGBTQI+ community-based organisation to receive such status in Bhutan, signifying a tremendous step forward in the acknowledgement of LGBTQI+ identities in the Himalayan nation.
Health Equity Matters’ SKPA-2 program played a small but important role in supporting Pride Bhutan to achieve this milestone. The formal recognition paves the way for Pride Bhutan to take control of their own destiny and shape a positive experience for their LGBTQI+ community members.
Who is Pride Bhutan?
Pride Bhutan is a LGBTQI+ community-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safe and inclusive society for sexual and gender minorities.
They champion community mobilisation and empowerment across health and social spheres.
In a country with a population of almost 800,000 people, they are the main organisation represented by and supporting the Bhutanese LGBTQI+ community.
Barriers to legal registration
Bhutan has a saturated civil society sector, with over 50 active NGOs in such a small country.
In 2022, the Bhutanese government set a higher barrier of entry into the sector. They legislated for increased representation of government in the Civil Society Organisation Authority that oversees the registration and accreditation of civil society organisations. They also introduced a requirement of endowment funds as well as operational reserves.
This move effectively excluded many small and medium-sized community organisations such as Pride Bhutan from formalising and expanding into larger legal civil society organisations.
In contrast to more established civil society organisations, Pride Bhutan was totally reliant on Global Fund grant funding for operations. They didn’t have legal standing and therefore weren’t eligible to receive government funding. Furthermore, Pride Bhutan didn’t have its own bank account or any cash reserve or cash flow to manage.
Changing tack and SKPA-2 support
Because Pride Bhutan weren’t successful with pursuing the conventional legal registration process under the Civil Society Act of Bhutan, they found an alternative. This involved obtaining formal recognition from the Dzongkhag (District) Authority. This is an approach suitable for smaller, informal or local community-based organisations that focus on addressing specific local community needs or issues.
SKPA-2 indirectly supported the effort by funding temporary surge support to the organisation’s regular program, via a project administration officer, for a few months. The organisational support this role provided helped free up valuable time for Pride Bhutan’s Executive Director to engage with the Thimphu Dzongkhag Authority and the Ministry of Health to make an application for community-based organisation recognition.
Through pursuing this alternative pathway, Pride Bhutan was successfully awarded recognition as a community-based organisation by the Thimphu Dzongkhag Authority.
What this means for Pride Bhutan
While there is no single national law that outlines the powers and privileges of a community-based organisation after they receive dzongkhag recognition, there are some direct consequences.
History tells us that organisations with this administrative legitimacy granted from the Dzongkhag Authority can open an organisational bank account, receive and manage small grants, and engage in small projects with development partners.
Opening an organisational bank account is a critical step forward for Pride Bhutan to professionalise their organisation. This will allow them to manage their own finances and build a track record of accountability to funders.
Aside from the practical changes, receiving formal recognition cements Pride Bhutan’s status and provides a sense of legitimacy which will have massive social implications for the LGBTQI+ community.
How this helps the LGBTQI+ community
As the premier service organisation for LGBTQI+ communities in Bhutan, Pride Bhutan’s formal recognition is significant.
Not only will they be able to continue delivering much needed services for the community, but the community can have faith that their experiences are becoming more widely acknowledged and accepted in what is a historically conservative society.
We will be following Pride Bhutan’s progress with great interest.
Interested in the work being done by SKPA-2 in Bhutan? Click here to discover more.