On the 10th of September 1984, with the blessings of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan Women's Association (TWA) was officially founded with 12 branches throughout India. Today, the TWA has over 20,000 members and 58 branches worldwide including branches in India, Nepal, Europe, Japan, the United States of America, and Canada. TWA sees itself as the natural continuation of our many brave si
sters who sacrificed their lives for the freedom and protection of Tibet. TWA's main objective is to raise public awareness of the abuses faced by Tibetan women in Chinese-occupied Tibet. Through extensive publicity and involvement in national and international affairs, TWA alerts communities to the gender-specific human rights abuses committed against Tibetan women in the form of forced birth control policies such as sterilizations and abortions, and restrictions on religious, political, social, and cultural freedoms. In exile, TWA places great priority on the contributions of Tibetan women toward the preservation and promotion of the distinct religion, culture, and identity of the Tibetan people. TWA serves the Tibetan community as a whole with activities addressing religious and cultural issues, educational needs, social welfare, the environment, and the political participation and social empowerment of women. To best achieve our goals, TWA functions as a democratic organization. The members of the Central and the Regional Working Committees are elected by their respective members for a fixed term. The headquarters of TWA is in McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, and it is from here that TWA issues guidelines and directives to the branch offices for the coordination of their activities. Today, the group has 58 branches worldwide and more than 20,000 members.
