The Tibetan Women's Association (TWA) was originally founded on March 12, 1959 in Tibet.On this day, thousands of Tibetan women in Lhasa gathered together to protest against the illegal occupation of Tibet by Communist China. Today, the TWA has over 13,000 members and 47 branches worldwide including branches in: India, Nepal, Europe, Japan, the United States of America and Canada. TWA's main objective is to raise public awareness of the abuses faced by Tibetan women in Chinese-occupied Tibet. Through extensive publicity and involvement in national and international affairs, TWA alerts communities to the gender-specific human rights abuses committed against Tibetan women in the form of forced birth control policies such as sterilizations and abortions, and restrictions on religious, political, social and cultural freedoms. In exile, TWA places great priority on the contributions of Tibetan women towards the preservation and promotion of the distinct religion, culture and identity of the Tibetan people. TWA serves the Tibetan community as a whole with activities addressing religious and cultural issues, educational needs, social welfare, the environment and the political participation and social empowerment of women.