Bhutan Empowers Women Civil Servants to Lead Digital Transformation

Through a Royal Civil Service Commission–UNDP partnership, women HR officers are building digital skills and leadership to drive inclusive governance.

By Governance for Public Goods and Services

August 25^th, 2025

30 Human Resources (HR) officers from various key government agencies in Bhutan attended the Women Digital Champions training led by UNDP and the Bhutan Royal Civil Service Commission. The two-day training was part of a broader partnership between the Royal Government of Bhutan and UNDP to accelerate inclusive public sector innovation through digital transformation. The training empowered women civil servants to lead digital transformation, spark innovation, and challenge the status quo.

Women civil servants in Bhutan, wearing traditional outfits, stand in a circle raising their arms during a group exercise at a digital inclusion training. — The training featured icebreakers and interactive group sessions to ensure a meaningful, engaging, and collaborative learning experience for all participants.

"Bhutan’s Digital Future Must Include Women"

“Digital transformation is a key priority for Bhutan, not only in the 13th Five-Year Plan but also in the 21st Century Economic Roadmap, where it is recognised as a strategic enabler for good governance and economic growth. But we cannot achieve inclusive digital transformation without equal gender representation. Women remain underrepresented in the digital and technology space, in Bhutan and globally, and this cannot continue. Technology is shaping our future, and we must ensure women are not left behind,” said Sonam Pelden Thaye, Director General of the Royal Civil Service Commission.

Sonam Pelden Thaye, Director General of the Royal Civil Service Commission, speaks with a microphone in hand during a Women Digital Champions training session, while participants listen attentively. — Sonam Pelden Thaye, Director General of the Royal Civil Service Commission, called for stronger gender representation in digital transformation and emphasised the vital role of HR Officers in leading inclusive, tech-driven public service.

Bridging the Gender Gap

According to Mrs. Thaye, HR Officers, positioned at the intersection of people and systems, play a critical role in driving inclusive, digital-first governance, ensuring that digital innovation works for everyone, not just a few.

UNDP’s Human Development Report 2025 shows that women make up about one-third of researchers in science. Yet, women account for only 12% of AI researchers and 30% of the global AI workforce.

In Bhutan, women hold only 38.34% in the technical services category in the public sector. In the private sector, too, men make up the vast majority of the digital workforce. A 2024 AI readiness assessment by the GovTech Agency and UNDP revealed limited participation of women and other vulnerable groups in AI planning, design or decision-making. These disparities risk reinforcing gender biases in technology and limiting the potential of digital transformation to serve all citizens.

“As Bhutan embraces AI and digital innovation, we must focus on building systems where people and technology work together to meet real needs and development goals. This requires investing in the right skills and leadership —especially among women— to drive equitable change.”

Group photo of participants and facilitators at the Women Digital Champions training in Bhutan, featuring women civil servants in traditional outfits along with UNDP representatives, including Khurshid Alam, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bhutan, seated in the front row. — A total of 30 Human Resource Officers from various government agencies convened for a two-day ‘Women Digital Champions’ training, jointly organised by the Royal Civil Service Commission (RCSC) and UNDP Bhutan.

From AI Literacy to Action

Led by UNDP’s global Digital Capacity Lab (DCL) and the Future Smart Initiative, the Women Digital Champions training focused on designing inclusive public services. The training walked the participants through the benefits and risks of AI, including the growing concern around technology-facilitated gender-based violence.

Participants identified key barriers and enablers for gender-inclusive digital policies and developed strategies to foster equitable digital access and participation. They were equipped with foundational knowledge of AI and online gender-based violence that will help them conceptualise impactful, citizen-focused interventions to leverage AI in fighting online gender-based violence. The participants will also co-develop action points to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in digital innovation. The initiative will contribute towards the RCCS’s efforts to bridge existing digital capability gaps and build a digitally literate public sector capable of designing, implementing and sustaining innovative public services.

A group of Bhutanese women civil servants, dressed in traditional outfits, sit around a table in discussion during the Women Digital Champions training, taking notes and brainstorming ideas together.

Bhutanese women civil servants, dressed in traditional outfits, present their group work during the Women Digital Champions training, with one participant holding a microphone and another displaying a poster covered with colorful sticky notes.

Participants of the Women Digital Champions Training in Bhutan, dressed in traditional outfits, engage in a session as a woman speaks into a microphone while a facilitator stands near the presentation screen that reads “Welcome to the Women’s Digital Champions Training.”

A Bhutanese woman civil servant, dressed in a traditional outfit, speaks into a microphone while presenting her group’s work on a flip chart during the Women Digital Champions training, as another participant looks on.

Bhutanese women civil servants, dressed in traditional outfits, stand around a table smiling and interacting during the Women Digital Champions training, with a presentation screen visible in the background.

Khurshid Alam, Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP Bhutan, speaks at a podium during the Women Digital Champions training, addressing participants seated in the room.

Group photo of participants and facilitators at the Women Digital Champions training in Bhutan, with women civil servants in traditional outfits proudly holding their certificates alongside UNDP representatives.

The original version of this story was published on www.undp.org/bhutan

All photos: UNDP Bhutan/Karma Jamtsho

Footnotes

This Women Digital Champions training is supported by the "Inclusive and Future Smart: Transforming the Public Sector for Improved Service Delivery" project, funded by the governments of Denmark, Luxembourg, and the Republic of Korea through UNDP’s Global Funding Windows.

Button Label

FootNotes