Empowering Moves: Kung Fu Nuns Champion Gender Equality

A dozen nuns showcased martial art skills to celebrate the reopening of Druk Amitabha Monastery in Nepal, aiming to promote gender equality. The nunnery, supporting physical and mental health through kung fu, reflects a progressive step in the patriarchal Buddhist system, featuring globally diverse members.

A dozen nuns thrilled onlookers with powerful hand chops and high kicks, some even wielding swords, during the grand reopening of the Druk Amitabha Monastery in Nepal. The performance highlighted their martial arts prowess, drawing cheers from hundreds of wellwishers.

This event marked the reopening of the institution, which had been closed for five years following the COVID-19 pandemic. The kung fu nuns, aged 17 to 30, belong to the 1,000-year-old Drukpa lineage, known for pioneering gender equality in the traditionally male-dominated Buddhist monastic system.

His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, a highly ranked monk in the Tibetan Buddhist hierarchy, established the nunnery in 2009 to empower women through kung fu, enhancing their physical health and spiritual development. The nuns, hailing from Bhutan, India, and Nepal, aim to promote women's empowerment and gender equality. With a history of sustainability projects and disaster relief efforts, these nuns have become symbols of change, ensuring their return to spiritual roots focuses on helping others and the community.

(With inputs from agencies.)