Page 39 - BHUTAN 2007

PERSONAL NAMES

The Bhutanese who live in the northern Himalayan valleys where we visited

do not have family names. Many children are given names corresponding to
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nd
their position in the family—like 2 child, or 3 child. Most names are
applicable to both male and female children. Monks choose the names to be

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given to newborns, usually by the 7 day of life. We were both amused and
surprised to learn that our guide and his fiancée are called Kelzang (meaning
rd
3 child). We wondered how the teachers handled classes filled with many
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3 children, but Kelzang said it was easy because the teachers just add 1, 2,
3, etc. to the name and each child knows which one he/she is. In legal

situations, the people are distinguished from each other by their birth dates.

In the southern part of the country (where we did not visit), the people of

Nepalese origin usually have two names, with a family name in the Indian
fashion.

WOMEN’S RIGHTS

Bhutanese women have equal status with men, unlike the status of women

in most Asian countries. Women are the inheritors of property and wealth.

They head the families and make the work assignments in the rural setting.

However, that does not mean they escape the hard labor of agriculture and

livestock tending. They are always seen in the fields alongside their
husbands and sons. They control the family finances, but also must take

care of the household and the children. So they are very hardworking

indeed. Not too different from how many Western women see their roles—

jobs outside the home, but also total responsibility for the household and

the rearing of the children.