Feminism, Nationalism and Exiled Tibetan Women

On September 1, 1995, Tibetan nationalism and international feminism came together in front of a global audience when nine exiled Tibetan women staged a demonstration at the United Nations Fourth World Conference on women in Beijing. From the Tibetan perspective, the women had created history by becoming the first Tibetans ever to hold a protest on Chinese soil. This book traces the history of organized political resistance by Tibetan women over the 40-year period leading up to the Beijing Conference. It describes and analyses the development of the Tibetan Women’s Association, the mass women’s organization of the Tibetan exile community, and in particular the impact of feminism on it. It looks at the overlaps and tensions between nationalism and feminism, and examines how both can be constructed in exile. In doing so, the book raises questions of belonging and representation, of change and permanence, of political expediency and idealism. Overall, it provides a unique insight into the nature of Tibetan nationalism and its interaction with international forces and movements.