Chapter 1: Political Participation of women in Nepal, a historical perspective
Note: A PPT-led video presentation will explain the evolution of political participation in different systems of Nepal. There shall be facts and figures about women's political participation (a global phenomenon too) to help understand its dyn
Women have been involved in several political movements and incidents in Nepal, even though they are not often recognized as men are. During the period when states were known for fighting wars and expanding their territories, the kings were asked to be at war, and the queens used to take care of the palace and the kingdom. It was said that King Mandeva, the Licchhavi King of Nepal, stopped his mother from going Sati (the ritual of a window burning in the funeral pyre of her dead husband). It was said that he was highly influenced by his mother. In the modern history of Nepal, during the expansion period, Queen Rajendra Laxmi is noted for her courageous rule. She furthered the unification process of modern Nepal, which had been spearheaded by Prithvi Narayan Shah. Queen Rajendra Laxmi was the wife of King Pratap Singh Shah (The Kathmandu Post, 2018). She was the regent of Nepal when her son, Rana Bahadur Shah, was a minor king between 1777 and 1785. She also took the lead in sending troops to the eastern part of Nepal to continue the expansion of the country.
Women Leaders in establishing Democracy in Nepal
Further into the more modern centuries, Yogmaya Neupane rebelled against the Rana regime in the early 20th
century, writing poems against patriarchy, the caste system, and the autocratic regime. Literature states
that she was put in prison on the charge of attempting self-immolation as a sign of protest, and she was
the first woman to be imprisoned for her political beliefs. She and her 67 disciples dove into the Arun
River one day in 1941 to humiliate the government. Through mass immolation, she aimed to put the weight of
their deaths on the rulers’ consciences (Republica, 2011).
In the 1940s, when the struggle for democracy was going on, Rebanti Kumari Acharya founded Adarsha Mahila
Sangh. Through this, she served as a communication link between jailed democracy activists and the nascent
democratic movement led by the Nepali Congress in India. This communication was vital to fueling the
democratic movement.
In the spirit of organizing women for the political agenda, Mangala Devi Singh founded Mahila Sangh and
demanded the right to vote. After the success of the democratic movement in the 1950s, Mangala Devi,
Sahana Pradhan, Sadhana Pradhan Adhikari, Kamaksha Devi Rana, and Hira Devi Tuladhar, among others,
contributed to organizing women and also working for their social empowerment.
After the 1951 revolution, Nepali women demanded their political right to vote and to become candidates in
elections. In the municipal election of Kathmandu Municipality in 1953, Sadhana Devi Pradhan became the
first elected woman representative (Devkota, K.L. 2022).
In 1947, the Nepal Women's Association was established under the leadership of Mangaladevi Singh, Sahana
Pradhan, and Sadhana Adhikari. This organization helped women become more politically aware and was
instrumental in securing their right to vote and to access higher education.
In the first parliamentary elections of 1959, the Congress provided a ticket to Dwarika Devi Thakurani, a
female candidate. She was also appointed deputy minister of health and local self-governance later in the
cabinet led by Bisheshwor Prasad Koirala. In the upper house of Nepal's first parliament, formed in 1959,
Kamal Rana, a female candidate, was elected vice chair, winning against a male candidate.
During the Panchayat era from the 1960s until the early 1990s, the king held executive powers and
curtailed people’s freedom to select their representatives and f express themselves. Political parties and
the public sought democracy, and the King invited political representatives for negotiations. Sahana
Pradhan was an important member of this negotiation team. She played a leading role. Besides being an
agitator during the political movement of 1990, Sahana Pradhan participated in the interim government led
by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai. She was the second-in-command in the government. This was also the first time
the communists became a part of the government in Nepal.
The mid-90s marked the start of the Maoists’ decade-long war against the government for social justice.
Women were involved in the Maoist Movement. This decade, from 1996 to 2006, is considered a period of
insurgency. It is known that women on the rebel side participated equally with men. Women became
combatants and notable commanders. The war ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord in
November 2006. Although there is dispute over the actual number of combatants in different literature,
UNMIN suggests that 19% of the combatants were women (Rimal, 2022).
In the course of history, Nepali women have held executive positions in the government. Dwarika Devi
Thakurani was the first female member of the Council of Ministers in Nepal becoming the Deputy Minister of
Health and Local Governance in 1959. In 1972, Kamala Shah became the Deputy Minister of Health in the
Panchayat-era council of ministers chaired by Kirtinidhi Bista. With support from another Prime Minister,
Marich Man Singh Shrestha, Sushila Thapa became Minister for Health, while Chanda Shah was the Assistant
Minister. Sahana Pradhan, Bidhya Bhandari, and Shailaja Acharya also became ministers in the 1990s
(Panthi, 2019). The table below discusses the total male and female members in the Ministry and
Parliament. (Mulukko Muhar, Nepalka Mantri ra Samsadharu 2007 dekhi 2075, as cited in Panthi, 2019).
Read this article to get information on the historical perspective of women in Nepali Politics.
Provisions that Promote Political Participation (International & National)
The participation of women in the political arena has been a part of the international feminist movement's
discourse. The political participation of minorities is also in line with different international and
national social movements. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action of 1995 envision the crucial
role of women in power and decision-making. It elaborates that achieving the goal of equal participation
of women and men in decision-making will accurately reflect the composition of society, strengthening
democratic practices.
Despite the target endorsed by the Economic and Social Council for 30% of women in decision-making
positions by 1995, only 10% reached the legislative bodies and ministerial positions (UN Women, 1995).
The Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) further stresses the importance
of women’s participation in decision-making, stating that the full and complete development of a country,
the welfare of the world, and the cause of peace require the maximum participation of women in equal terms
with men in all fields (UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1997).
Article 38 (4) of the constitution says that women have the right to participate in all state bodies
through proportional inclusion.
Article 84(8) of the Constitution of Nepal mandates that at least one-third of the total number of members
elected from each political party representing the Federal Parliament be women. If the number is not met
through the First Past the Post (FPTP) system, then the parties have to meet the criteria through
proportional representation. The Election Act of the House of Representatives 2074 mandates each political
party to present at least 50% women on the Proportional Representatives list and meet the criteria of 33%
in parliament from their party.
The Local Level Election Act 2073 also states women's participation. The Act guides political parties to
present one male and/or female for the chairperson and deputy chairperson roles if they are contesting for
both positions. At the ward level, the Act mandates parties to present at least two women, including one
Dalit woman. It also requires the political parties to field 50 percent women for chiefs and deputies of
District Coordination Committees.
Similarly, Article 42 says socially backward women, Dalits, indigenous people, indigenous nationalities,
Madhesis, Tharus, minorities, persons with disabilities, marginalized communities, Muslims, backward
classes, gender and sexual minorities, youths, farmers, laborers, oppressed or citizens of backward
regions, and indigenous Khas-Arya shall have the right to participate in the state bodies on the basis of
the inclusion principle.