Lily Wangchuk

A diplomat between 1994 and 2008, in November 2012 she became the first Bhutanese woman to be appointed president of a political party.

[2] After a 12-year career as a diplomat,[4] she took time off to travel across Bhutan, visiting all 20 districts and the remotest areas of the country, during which she observed the socio-economic challenges facing common people and inequalities in development.

[1] Wangchuk once served as the executive director of the Bhutan Media Foundation (BMF) and head of the People's Democratic Party's women wing.

[2] Soon after leaving BMF to pursue a career as a politician, in October 2011 she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and overcame the disease in six months.

[3] Wangchuk cites Aung San Suu Kyi as an inspiration in her leadership.