FOR centuries, Buddhist women have served, studied and led quietly from the sidelines, rarely visible and often unrecognised. That is beginning to change.
This week in Kuching, more than 350 delegates from 25 countries are attending the 19th Sakyadhita International Conference on Buddhist Women, held from June 16-20 at the Waterfront Hotel.
The five-day gathering brings together monastics, scholars, laywomen and activists under the theme ‘Navigating Change: Buddhist Women in Transition’ which explores how Buddhist women across traditions are adapting to modern realities.
Founded in 1987, the Sakyadhita International Association of Buddhist Women has grown into a global network advocating for gender equity in Buddhist practice and scholarship.
At the centre of this year’s conference are its founder, Karma Lekshe Tsomo, a Buddhist nun and scholar known for decades of work on women’s ordination and education, and its president, Dr Sharon Suh, a religious studies professor whose research explores trauma, embodiment and socially engaged Buddhism.
In a conversation with Sarawak Tribune, they shared why they brought the conference to Sarawak, how Buddhist women are navigating change, and what they hope this gathering will inspire not only in Malaysia, but around the world.
SARAWAK TRIBUNE: Why bring this international conference to Sarawak?
Tsomo & Suh: This is the second time the conference is being held in Malaysia. The first was in Kuala Lumpur in 2006, where participants contributed to two publications in English and Chinese. When the invitation came from Sarawak, we saw it as an opportunity to expand access and spotlight a region that many global participants may not have known much about. The idea was not to keep returning to large, urban centres, but to bring the event to more diverse places. Sarawak, with its cultural depth and religious harmony, stood out as a meaningful choice.
I (Tsomo) recalled visiting Kuching about a decade ago during a Buddha Day celebration. The scale of public participation, with floats, chanting and a city-wide procession, made a strong impression. There was a sense that Buddhism here was lived, practiced and celebrated with great spirit. That energy is something the global community can learn from.
Sarawak’s multicultural and multi-religious society also sends a valuable message. It is a place where Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, and indigenous communities coexist with mutual respect. That harmony offers a model that many other countries, especially those facing division or polarisation, could look to.
What kinds of changes are Buddhist women navigating today?
The idea of ‘transition’ touches nearly every area of life. In many Buddhist cultures, teachings were historically transmitted in classical languages such as Pali or Sanskrit. Today, younger generations often do not read those languages, so there is a need to translate teachings into modern, accessible idioms. That includes English, but also simply finding ways to speak directly to the issues younger people face in daily life.
There are also institutional transitions. For centuries, monastic institutions were largely male-led. Women participated, but their contributions often went unrecognised. In many places, girls were excluded from the educational pathways that young monks had easy access to. Without access to Buddhist education, few girls joined. But when nunneries began offering education, thousands of women came forward. The transformation was immediate. In countries like China, where female monastics were provided the same learning opportunities, there was a noticeable rise in ordinations.
Generational change is another ongoing shift. Today’s younger generation faces increased stress, pressure, and disconnection. Many young people, especially in urban environments, live with constant anxiety, and Buddhist teachings offer tools to help address those mental and emotional challenges. At the same time, teaching those tools requires adaptation. The current generation communicates through social media, short-form content and fast-moving dialogue. Buddhist teachers need to meet them where they are. That means not only using digital platforms, but also empowering younger teachers to serve as cultural bridges.
Who are the participants, and how is the conference structured to serve such a diverse audience?
More than 350 participants are attending the Kuching conference, including over 300 from abroad and more than 50 from Malaysia. Delegates have come from 35 different countries, with the majority from Asia due to travel accessibility. Some have travelled for over 24 hours across three flights to attend.
The conference is designed to balance academic, spiritual and cultural dimensions. Each day begins with meditation, including a special session titled ‘Meditations of the World’, where participants chant in their own native languages. This shared practice reflects the diversity of traditions represented and creates a space for connection across cultures from the very start of each day. Throughout the week, there are paper panels led by professors and advanced graduate students, covering topics such as gender in monastic governance, ordination rights, leadership, and social justice.
Workshops allow for more participatory sessions. These include breathing and mindfulness practices, journaling, writing workshops, Buddhist perspectives on trauma and healing, and even creative arts such as lantern-making, flower jelly art, and Korean traditional crafts. One panel, titled ‘What If AI Were a Sentient Being?’ explores the philosophical intersections between Buddhist views of consciousness and emerging technologies.
These sessions not only reflect the diversity of topics that Buddhist women are engaging with, but also the ways in which ancient traditions are being applied to modern questions. There is a misconception, especially in the West, that Buddhist women are somehow stuck in tradition. But if you look at what’s being presented in Kuching, it’s clear that many are already working at the intersection of tradition and innovation.
How does the conference foster participation from underrepresented communities?
Inclusivity is one of the pillars of Sakyadhita’s mission. Around 30 sponsored participants were brought to Kuching this year from different countries. These are women who might never have had the opportunity to attend an international conference. For some, just witnessing another woman speaking at a microphone is a transformative moment.
The conference helps create bridges between Buddhist women from vastly different cultural, social and economic backgrounds. These connections often continue long after the event. Teachers are invited across countries, research collaborations are formed, and new projects are born from conversations that start in the hallways or over shared meals.
Past conferences have also featured cultural exchanges. In Australia, a Buddhist nun who had appeared on MasterChef prepared kimchi for all attendees. In Korea, participants shared traditional lantern-making techniques that were later adopted in temples elsewhere. In Hawaii, a visiting nun helped build a loving-kindness garden that is now used for meditation.
This kind of sharing makes the experience more than just intellectual. It becomes embodied and relational, grounded in daily life and human connection.
What kind of impact has the conference had on Buddhist communities in Malaysia?
There has been visible change over the years. When the conference was first held in Malaysia in 2006, women in Buddhist communities were active, but often behind the scenes. Now, there are more women leading temples, teaching Dharma, publishing, and organising programmes for children. Many of those who were teenagers during that earlier conference are now professionals running their own centres.
The attention to children’s education is especially notable. Many Malaysian temples have strong Sunday school programmes that teach values such as kindness and honesty. That kind of engagement with the next generation is something not often seen in Western Buddhist communities, outside of Vietnamese-American temples. The focus on early moral development has become one of Malaysia’s quiet strengths.
But the learning goes both ways. Delegates from North America have observed that while their home countries face rising loneliness, isolation and mental health crises, communities in Malaysia seem to maintain stronger interpersonal connections. Sarawak, in particular, offers a model of social harmony and rootedness that others can learn from.
What do you hope participants take away from this experience, and what happens next?
The conference is not just about sharing knowledge, but also about creating friendships, building networks and inspiring future action. When participants leave Kuching, many return home with new energy. Some may start a meditation group, launch a research project or begin writing about the lives of Buddhist women in their countries.
Each conference’s papers are collected and published in a book, which is distributed online for free. This ensures that the ideas, research and stories shared here reach thousands more people around the world. There is also a newsletter, and a growing archive of conference materials that continue to serve as a resource for scholars, practitioners and students.
Our conference is held once every two years, and the next host country will be announced at the closing ceremony of every conference. As is tradition, a symbolic banner will be passed from the current organisers to the next hosts. It is a reminder that while each conference lasts only a few days, the momentum it creates carries forward.
Even attending one conference can be life-changing. For many, it opens the door to a broader understanding of what is possible, both within Buddhism and within themselves. After the closing ceremony, delegates will tour parts of Kuching together. It will be a chance to unwind, experience local culture and continue the conversations beyond the formal sessions.
