14th Dalai Lama

=== Women's rights ===
{{See also|Women in Buddhism|Criticism of Buddhism#Women in Buddhism}}

In 2007, he said that the next Dalai Lama could possibly be a woman: "If a woman reveals herself as more useful the lama could very well be reincarnated in this form."<ref>{{cite news |last = Spencer |first = Richard |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1571850/Dalai-Lama-says-successor-could-be-a-woman.html |title = Dalai Lama says successor could be a woman |work = The Telegraph |date = 7 December 2007 |access-date = 19 November 2010 |location = London |archive-date = 6 January 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210106155514/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/1571850/Dalai-Lama-says-successor-could-be-a-woman.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

In 2009, on [[gender equality]] and sexism, the Dalai Lama proclaimed at the [[National Civil Rights Museum]] in [[Memphis, Tennessee]]: "I call myself a [[feminist]]. Isn't that what you call someone who fights for [[women's rights]]?" He also said that by nature, women are more compassionate "based on their biology and ability to nurture and birth children". He called on women to "lead and create a more compassionate world," citing the good works of nurses and mothers.<ref>{{cite news |url = https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamara-conniff/the-dalai-lama-proclaims_b_297285.html |title = Tamara Conniff: The Dalai Lama Proclaims Himself a Feminist: Day Two of Peace and Music in Memphis |work = HuffPost |date = 23 September 2009 |access-date = 17 July 2013 |archive-date = 15 November 2017 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171115084047/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/tamara-conniff/the-dalai-lama-proclaims_b_297285.html |url-status = live }}</ref>

At a 2014 appearance at the [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]] in Mumbai, the Dalai Lama said, "Since women have been shown to be more sensitive to others' suffering, their leadership may be more effective."<ref>{{cite web |title=Secular Ethics for Higher Education |url=https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/launch-of-tata-institute-of-social-sciences-course-in-secular-ethics-for-higher-education/amp |website=His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet |publisher=The Office of His Holiness The Dalai Lama |access-date=13 August 2018 |archive-date=5 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105162041/https://www.dalailama.com/news/2017/launch-of-tata-institute-of-social-sciences-course-in-secular-ethics-for-higher-education/amp |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2015, he said in a [[BBC]] interview that if a female succeeded him, "that female must be attractive, otherwise it is not much use," and when asked if he was joking, replied, "No. True!" He followed with a joke about his success being due to his own appearance.<ref>{{cite web |title = Dalai Lama Says If Successor Is Female, She Must Be Very Attractive |url = http://www.tricycle.com/blog/dalai-lama-says-if-successor-female-she-must-be-very-attractive |publisher = [[Tricycle: The Buddhist Review]] |date = 22 September 2015 |access-date = 24 September 2015 |archive-date = 25 September 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150925002300/http://www.tricycle.com/blog/dalai-lama-says-if-successor-female-she-must-be-very-attractive |url-status = dead }}</ref> His office later released a statement of apology citing the interaction as a translation error.<ref name="Rodriguez">{{Cite web |last=Rodriguez |first=Adrianna |title=Dalai Lama apologizes for sexist remarks that female successor must be 'more attractive' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/07/03/dalai-lama-apologizes-female-successor-more-attractive-sexist-remarks/1637106001/ |access-date=14 April 2022 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US |archive-date=14 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220414132912/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/07/03/dalai-lama-apologizes-female-successor-more-attractive-sexist-remarks/1637106001/ |url-status=live }}</ref>