Bio-diversity

No cash Financing in this Project The challenges and economic hardships facing families in rural Bhutan are daunting and diverse. Women and children and their families face limited access to assets, due to limited economic opportunities and poor social economic infrastructure. Because of micro-enterprise development represents an important means to breaking the vicious cycle of poverty, income earning prospects for the growing number of poor families through promotion of high productive, relatively low labor intensive income generating activities is imperative. Economic opportunity is an essential condition to exercise capability. It provides for an enabling environment to enhance economic status. Access to capital, market, materials and appropriate institutional support are some factors that create economic opportunity. NWAB at the moment has five ongoing project sites under Trongsa and Zhemgang Dzongkhag producing medicinal herbs. The medicinal herbs are sold to Bio-Bhutan and Institute of Traditional Medicine Services, Thimphu. The Medicinal Herb Cultivation Project at Welling, Trongsa, central Bhutan was initiated by NWAB with financial support from SEDF-IFC Dhaka. The donor agency expressed interest to further expand similar programs in the same dzongkhag after the success of the pilot project at Welling. The project was further replicated in other communities of Trongsa and Zhemgang District. The expression of interest by the donor agency has been highly appreciated by NWAB as it meets the objectives of both the donor and NWAB to alleviate poverty through the creation of self-help groups and generate income for the rural women particularly disadvantaged women. Like everywhere else, women constitute half of Bhutan s population of around 634,962.00. Despite the efforts of the Government, women are still under represented at the national and political level. With the recent change in urbanization and employment, many women from the rural areas in Bhutan are moving to cities and towns with their husbands or relatives in search of better employment opportunities, better living standards etc. Some of them are able to find jobs; houses etc and are able to provide support for their families. Yet there are some unfortunate ones who are unable to find jobs to support their families. The women/girls who are unable to cope up with their life due to their failure in finding jobs and growing demands from their families often resort to (sex workers) in the border town like Phuntsholing. A majority of these women/girls comes from rural areas of the country with poor family background. They are illiterate or drop outs and don t have any friends or relatives in the cities or towns that they can migrate to. They are lonely, depressed and in need of companionship. The Association, in keeping with its mandate to address issues related to women, plans to help rural urban migration and create employment opportunities at their place of place of residence.

Bhutan