With 132 Calls, 4 Cybercrime Cases in 2025, Women’s Helpline Officer Says Gender-Awareness Gap Persists in Tibetan Community
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA, 25 Nov: The Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA), in collaboration with the Women Empowerment Desk of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), launched its campaign to end digital violence against women and girls today as part of the annual global observance of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. The event took place at the main square in McLeod Ganj.
This year’s campaign, held under the theme “Unite to End Digital Violence Against Women and Girls,” runs from 25 November to 10 December. It began with a message-writing and awareness program featuring an information table, photo booth, and message board at the main square starting at 10 a.m. Though members of TWA and the Tibetan Women’s Helpline participated enthusiastically, public engagement and media presence remained limited.
“It might look like a small initiative from a distance, but regardless of its scale, it is very crucial to conduct such awareness programs because even if it impacts only a few people, that is where change begins,” said Tsering Dolma, President of TWA, in a conversation with Tibet Express.
Planned activities for the 16-day campaign include a dialogue circle among major Tibetan NGOs on 28 November, workshops on digital security, gender-awareness programs in Tibetan schools across Himachal Pradesh, and online conferences, among others.
The collaborating organisation highlighted the prevalence of digital violence in the Tibetan community, especially against women and girls amid heightened gender-based harassment. Their press statement reported incidents of cyberbullying and online harassment, doxxing, identity theft and impersonation, financial fraud, misinformation, non-consensual sharing of images, online stalking, and hate speech.
“We have received 132 phone calls this year related to gender-based violence, seeking help. Of these, 90.1% were from women, with the remaining from men. Four cybercrime cases have also been reported to our desk,” said Karma Rinchen, Outreach Program Officer at the Tibetan Women’s Helpline of the CTA.
Karma noted a significant gap in gender-awareness within the Tibetan community, even among youth, who often hesitate and shy away from addressing the issue, an indication of the persistent gender-based stigmatization in society.
“Many of the survivors who approach us are unsure of how to proceed, specifically how, where, and to whom they should report the incident, which puts them in a state of confusion and often leads to mental-health challenges. Therefore, the first thing we focus on is the survivor’s mental well-being and providing appropriate support. Only after that do we proceed with the legal and financial assistance they may need,” she added.
She further noted that their gender awareness program—and the Tibetan Women’s Helpline team in general— aim to extend help to every one regardless of whether they identify as men, women, LGPTQ+, or otherwise. “Our understanding of gender extends beyound the male-female binary,” she concluded.
Anyone in need of assistance can reach the helpline at 01892-220129 or via WhatsApp at 62309-37243.
