Sakyadhita Australia and Buddhist women’s social movement
Sakyadhita Australia is the national branch of Sakyadhita International, the global Buddhist women’s social movement. Sakyadhita International was founded in Bodhgaya, India, in 1987 under the patronage of H.H. the Dalai Lama, with aspirations to benefit Buddhist women and nuns, reduce gender injustice, empower women through solidarity and mutual support, and awaken women to their potential. 1 They hold a biennial conference where Buddhist monastics and lay practitioners and scholars gather to share on issues affecting Buddhist women and the broader society.
The Australian bhikkhuni Ayya Khema (1923–1997), together with the American Tibetan nun Karma Lekshe Tsomo (b. 1944) and Thai Bhikkhuni Dhammananda (b. 1944, then Chatsumarn Kabilsingh), played highly significant roles in establishing Sakyadhita.2 Australian Buddhist leaders Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim and Ranjani de Silva also actively contributed to Sakyadhita International and were founding members of Sakyadhita Australia. De Silva founded Sakyadhita Sri Lanka in 1992 and served as president of Sakyadhita International from 1995 to 2000.3
Discussions to form an Australian branch began in 2013 and materialised after the Sakyadhita International Conference in Indonesia in 2015. Sakyadhita Australia was officially launched at its inaugural General Meeting at the Buddhist Society of Victoria on 18 June 2016. Venerable Chi Kwang Sunim delivered a keynote speech on the early influences of Buddhism in Australia. Formal affiliation with Sakyadhita International followed in 2017. In her online welcoming message, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo highlighted Australia’s important role in bridging Asian and Western Buddhist circles.4
Past presidents of Sakyadhita Australia include Dr Di Cousens (2016–17) and Professor Suzanne Franzway (2017–19). Helen Richardson is the current president. In 2019, Australia hosted the 16th Sakyadhita International Conference with the theme ‘New Horizons in Buddhism’ in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales.5
Sakyadhita Australia advocates gender equity in Buddhist education, training, institutional structures and ordination, as well as compassionate social action and environmental protection. It aims to connect and support Buddhist nuns and lay women of all cultural and language backgrounds in Australia, promote harmony and dialogue among the various Buddhist traditions, and connect with other faith traditions in broader society. It encourages women’s participation in Buddhist activities, and provides scholarships to support monastic participation in Sakyadhita International Conferences.6
By: Sioh Yang Tan and Juewei Shi
References:
1 “About us,” Sakyadhita Australia, accessed August 28, 2026, https://www.sakyadhitaoz.org/about-1; “Webinar with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo,” Sakyadhita Australia, November 8, 2018, https://www.sakyadhitaoz.org/jetsunma-tenzin-palmo.
2 Anna Halafoff et al., “Women and ultramodern Buddhism in Australia,” Religions 9, no. 5 (2018): 147, https://doi.org/10.3390/rel9050147.
3 “About us,” Sakyadhita Australia; “History of Sakyadhita Australia 1987–2021,” Sakyadhita Australia, accessed August 28, 2026, https://www.sakyadhitaoz.org/sakyadhita-history.
4 “History of Sakyadhita Australia 1987–2021,” Sakyadhita Australia.
5 “History of Sakyadhita Australia 1987–2021,” Sakyadhita Australia.
6 “Aims and objectives,” Sakyadhita Australia, accessed August 28, 2026, https://www.sakyadhitaoz.org/resources; “Sakyadhita Australia newsletter issues,” Sakyadhita Australia, Winter 2024, https://www.sakyadhitaoz.org/sakyadhita-aus-newsletter-issues.