Kushal Pokharel is a research fellow at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Studies (SIAS) in Nepal.
Once celebrated for its progressive strides towards gender equality in politics, Nepal is now witnessing a troubling regression. Despite constitutional guarantees, the representation of women in key political positions is declining, exposing the persistent grip of patriarchal norms and the superficial commitment of political parties to genuine gender inclusivity.
Nepal now needs to ensure that it sustains earlier gains. The percentage of women in its parliament remains above the global average of 25%, and over the past decade, women have held the positions of president, chief justice and speaker of the House of Representatives.
Compared with its South Asian counterparts, Nepal has progressive constitutional provisions for promoting gender equality. The Constitution of Nepal guarantees 33% participation of women at every level, and the local level election act mandates a minimum of 36.71% female participation.
The World Bank Women, Business and Law Index 2024 gives Nepal the highest score in the region for closing the gender gap. More broadly in the South Asia region, the picture is grim. Pakistan has reserved only 17% of its parliamentary seats for women; in Sri Lanka the figure is just 5.33%.
Across the globe, only 13% of countries apply effective gender quotas, according to the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Report 2024. The study states that if the current trend continues, it will take 134 years to achieve full gender parity.
But recent statistics show a worrying trend in Nepal. Only two of Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s 22-person council of ministers are women, down from four in the previous cabinet. The number of women in politics is also falling at the local level, with 226 elected as deputy mayors in 2022, down from 276 in 2017. And in rural municipalities, the number of female vice chairs dropped to 335 from 424.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, center, is sworn into office in Kathmandu on July 15. © Reuters
Although female representation in Nepalese politics has been increasing, a lack of policies, legislation and investment in capacity-building for women and girls’ effective participation and influence are stumbling blocks for gender parity. Equally pertinent is the question of whether or not the represented women have a strong say in the decision-making process.
The misuse of the proportional representation (PR) system has also raised questions about the intentions of political parties to ensure inclusive female participation and representation. Instead of ensuring the representation of women from disadvantaged and marginalized communities, per the spirit of the Constitution under the PR system, many of the women on the PR list are wives or family members of influential male politicians.
The matter has also drawn the attention of the Supreme Court, which recently issued an order for the federal parliament and other relevant authorities to review laws governing elections at all levels and ensure inclusion, in accordance with the constitution.
Sustaining the gains achieved in the direction of women’s political representation appears challenging, given male-dominated political party structures, as well as a lack of election funding and adequate training for women.
It is therefore crucial to conduct independent research on where women currently stand in terms of political representation, as well as how interventions can be made within political parties and state structures.
There is a great need for collaboration among donors, civil society and political parties to improve women’s access to the knowledge, skills and information needed to perform their tasks. And as global evidence suggests, a party-level gender action plan can help to promote women as leaders and as political candidates
Empowering women’s associations among Nepal’s political parties to organize women and build their capacities can yield better outcomes. Sensitizing male leaders working in political parties to the importance of women’s leadership should be a priority.
This blog article was first published at NIKKEI Asia September 4, 2024.
“Views expressed here are personal and not associated with any affiliated organisations”
