Sangay Choden Wangchuck
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Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (born 11 May 1963) is a Queen Mother of Bhutan and the youngest of the four sister-queens of the 4th Druk Gyalpo. She is the UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for Bhutan since 1999, founder and president of RENEW, and the 2020 United Nations Population Award laureate.
Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (Dzongkha: སངས་རྒྱས་ཆོས་སྒྲོན་དབང་ཕྱུག, born 11 May 1963 in Nobgang, Punakha) is a Queen Mother of Bhutan and the youngest of the four sister-queens of the 4th Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She has served as the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Goodwill Ambassador for Bhutan since 1999, and is internationally known for her advocacy on sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS prevention, and the elimination of gender-based violence.[1]
She is the founder and president of RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women), a non-governmental organisation she established in 2004 to address violence against women and girls in Bhutan. She is also the royal patron and chairperson of the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan and helped establish the Bhutan Textile Museum in 2001. In 2020, she received the United Nations Population Award as the individual laureate, and in 2024 she was honoured by UNFPA for the 25th anniversary of her Goodwill Ambassadorship.[2]
Family and Early Life
Sangay Choden was born in Nobgang in Punakha to Yab Dasho Ugyen Dorji (1925–2019) and Yum Thuiji Zam. She is the youngest of four sisters who all became queens to the 4th King — the others being Ashi Dorji Wangmo (born 1955), Ashi Tshering Pem (born 1957), and Ashi Tshering Yangdon (born 1959). She was educated at St. Joseph's Convent in Kalimpong and St. Helen's School in Kurseong, India, alongside her sisters.[3]
She married the 4th King privately in 1979 with her sisters, with the formal royal wedding held on 31 October 1988 at Punakha Dzong. She has two children with the 4th King: Prince Khamsum Singye Wangchuck (born 6 October 1985) and Princess Euphelma Choden Wangchuck (born 6 June 1993).[3]
UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador
Sangay Choden was appointed UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador for Bhutan in 1999, becoming one of the longest-serving Goodwill Ambassadors in the agency's history. UNFPA states that in this role she has advocated for "improved health services, including sexual and reproductive health, and the prevention of HIV/AIDS and gender-based violence" and has visited communities throughout Bhutan to raise awareness on these issues.[1]
In 2019, the UNFPA Executive Director presented her with an award marking 20 years of service. In 2020, she was named the individual laureate of the United Nations Population Award, sharing that year's honours with HelpAge India. UNFPA cited her advocacy on maternal and reproductive health and on the rights of women, girls, and survivors of violence. The 25th anniversary of her ambassadorship was marked in 2024.[4]
RENEW
In 2004, the Queen Mother founded RENEW to address violence against women and girls in Bhutan, an issue that had received little public attention prior to that point. RENEW operates a 24-hour helpline, runs safe shelters for survivors of domestic violence, and conducts community-based awareness programmes through volunteer networks across the 20 dzongkhags. The organisation has played a central role in the drafting and implementation of Bhutan's Domestic Violence Prevention Act 2013, working with the National Commission for Women and Children.[3]
Cultural Patronage
Sangay Choden helped establish the Bhutan Textile Museum in Thimphu in 2001, the first museum in Bhutan dedicated to the country's weaving traditions. The museum collects and displays kira and gho textiles, ceremonial cloths, and looms. She subsequently chaired the Royal Textile Academy of Bhutan, which expanded the museum's premises and added a research and training wing for traditional weaving. The academy is the principal institutional patron of Bhutanese textile heritage and works with weavers from Lhuentse, Bumthang and elsewhere.[3]
Recognition
Beyond the 2020 UN Population Award, the Queen Mother has received international honours including the Maurice Pate Leadership for Children Award from UNICEF and recognition from various global health institutions for her advocacy on reproductive health and the rights of women and girls. The B Beyond Magazine and Daily Bhutan have profiled her as the public face of Bhutan's international engagement on women's health and gender equality.[5]
See Also
- Jigme Singye Wangchuck
- Wangchuck dynasty
- Tshering Yangdon Wangchuck
- National Commission for Women and Children
References
- Her Majesty Queen Mother Gyalyum Sangay Choden Wangchuck of Bhutan — UNFPA
- Queen Mother of Bhutan and HelpAge India receive 2020 UN Population Award — UNFPA
- Sangay Choden — Wikipedia
- Honouring a Legacy: 25 Years as UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador — Daily Bhutan
- Queen Mother Sangay Choden: An Interview — B Beyond Magazine
See also
Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck
Ashi Sangay Choden Wangchuck (born 11 May 1963) is a Queen Mother (Gyalyum) of Bhutan and the fourth and youngest of the four queens of the Fourth Druk Gyalpo, King Jigme Singye Wangchuck. She is the founder and president of RENEW (Respect, Educate, Nurture and Empower Women), a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador, and established the Bhutan Textile Museum.
people·5 min readAshi Kesang Choden Wangchuck
Ashi Kesang Choden Wangchuck (born 21 May 1930) is the Gyalyum (Royal Grandmother) of Bhutan, widow of the Third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, mother of the Fourth King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, and paternal grandmother of the reigning Fifth King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. A daughter of the Dorji family of Bhutan and Sikkim, she has been a central figure in the Wangchuck dynasty for more than seven decades.
people·10 min readUgyen Wangchuck
Sir Ugyen Wangchuck (1862–1926) was the founder and first hereditary King of Bhutan. Having unified the country through military campaigns and strategic diplomacy with British India, he was crowned the first Druk Gyalpo at Punakha Dzong on 17 December 1907 — a date now celebrated as Bhutan's National Day.
people·4 min readKunzang Choden
Kunzang Choden (born 1952) is a Bhutanese writer and folklorist, widely recognized as the first Bhutanese woman to publish a novel in English. Her debut novel The Circle of Karma (2005) explores gender, tradition, and modernity in Bhutan, and she received the SAARC Literature Award in 2023 for her contributions to South Asian letters.
people·6 min readTshering Choden (Archer)
Tshering Choden is a Bhutanese archer who competed at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Bhutanese athlete to win an Olympic archery match. After retiring from competition in 2005, she transitioned into coaching and played a pivotal role in developing women's archery across Bhutan.
people·5 min readCrown Prince Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck
Jigme Namgyel Wangchuck (born 5 February 2016) is the Crown Prince and heir apparent to the throne of Bhutan. As the eldest son of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Queen Jetsun Pema, he is expected to become the sixth Druk Gyalpo.
people·5 min read
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