GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL: SYMBOLS, BRANCHES, WOMEN AND ELECTIONS

GOVERNMENT OF NEPAL

Government type: federal parliamentary republic. Nepal has an elected Parliamentary government somewhat similar to the one in Great Britain. The prime minister is the leader of the party with the most seats in Parliament, and major elections are held every five years or earlier.

Capital: Kathmandu. Administrative divisions: seven provinces: Gandaki Pradesh, Karnali Pradesh,Province No. One, Province No. Two, Province No. Three, Province No. Five, Sudurpashchim Pradesh. Administratively, the country is divided into 14 zones. There are 75 or so districts. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]

Independence: 1768 (unified by Prithvi Narayan SHAH)
Citizenship: citizenship by birth: yes
citizenship by descent only: yes
dual citizenship recognized: no
residency requirement for naturalization: 15 years

Nepal was a constitutional monarchy and the world’s only Hindu kingdom until the monarchy ceded power in 2006 and was officially abolished in 2008. It now has a prime minister and bicameral legislature consisting of a 59-seat National Assembly and 275-seat House of Representatives. An interim was parliament formed in January 2007 after peace agreement between the ruling Seven-Party Alliance and the Maoist rebels was signed, ending a civil war that started in the 1990s. An interim constitution adopted in January 2007, transferred the executive power of the Nepalese monarch to the prime minister and established a 330-seat Interim Parliament, which was replaced by an elected 601-seat temporary Constituent Assembly in 2008 that served as Nepal's legislature and was responsible for writing a new constitution. The new constitution was enacted in 2015 after much effort, establishing the present form of government. [Source: Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed., The Columbia University Press]

Nepal was in a state of civil war from 1996 to 2007. Maoist ebels — inspired by the ideology of Chinese Communist Party leader Mao Zedong (1893–1976) — launched a “People’s War” to overthrow the monarchy and establish a democratic government based on their ideals. After a peace agreement was signed in 2006, an interim constitution was established in January 2007 that promised to respect democratic principles. The monarchy handed power over to the government in 2006 and was abolished in 2008. [Source: “Gale Encyclopedia of World History: Governments”, 2008]

Symbols of Nepal

The flag of Nepal is shaped like a dove-tail banner. Nepal is the only country in the world whose flag is not rectangular or square and one the few that isn’t a rectangle. The current flag was adopted in 1962. Similar flags have been used for many years. The current flag consists of two vertically adjoining red triangles with outlined in blue borders and merging at the center. The points are on the fly side of the flag. The upper portion has an eight-pointed disc rising out of a white crescent moon, and the bottom portion has a white sun.

Flag description: The flag has a crimson red with a blue border around the unique shape of two overlapping right triangles. The smaller, upper triangle displays a white stylized moon and the larger, lower triangle bears a white 12-pointed sun. The color red signifies the rhododendron (Nepal's national flower) and is a sign of victory, action and bravery. The blue border represents peace and harmony; the two right triangles are a combination of two single pennons (pennants) that originally symbolized the Himalaya Mountains. Their charges were originally meant to represent the king and the royal family (upper) and the prime minister, but today they are understood to denote Hinduism and Buddhism, the country's two main religions. The moon illustrates the serenity of the Nepalese people and the shade and cool weather in the Himalayas. The sun depicts the heat and higher temperatures of the lower parts of Nepal. The moon and the sun are also said to express the hope that the nation will endure as long as these heavenly bodies. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]

National symbol: rhododendron blossom; national color: red. national bird: danfe (Himalayan monal, Impeyan monal, Impeyan pheasant), a pheasant native to Himalayan forests and shrublands. The metaphor of a garden with many different kinds of flowers has sometimes been put forth by the government to symbolize national unity amid cultural diversity.

National anthem: name: "Sayaun Thunga Phool Ka" (Hundreds of Flowers) with lyrics by Pradeep Kumar Rai and music by Ambar Gurung. The anthem was adopted 2007 after the monarchy ceded power to the parliament in 2006. A new anthem was required because of the previous anthem praised the king. The former national anthem began: “May His Majesty, solemn and supremely valiant, be prosperous forever.”

Other symbols traditionally associated with Nepal have been the plumed crown worn by the Nepalese kings and the kukhris (curved knives) of the Gurkha mercenary regiments that fought for the British Army in a number of wars. Prominent auspicious Hindu and Buddhist symbols include the ancient Hindu swastika and Shiva's trident. These can be found on buses, trucks and walls. The tree, plow and sun have been used to designate political parties. Images of the monarch and the royal family used to displayed in many homes, offices and places of business. [Source: “Countries and Their Cultures”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001]

Monarchy in Nepal

Nepal was a constitutional monarchy and the world’s only Hindu kingdom until the monarchy ceded power in 2006 and was officially abolished in 2008. For a long time Nepalese had a deep reverence for the monarchy that was near the levels the Thais have traditionally revered their monarchy. One Nepalese man told AFP, "King and country are dearer than our lives." A trade unionist told the Independent in the mid 2000s. "Most Nepalese feel that if the royal family does not exist, Nepal does not exist." Speaking about the monarchy in anything but glowing terms was considered sacrilegious.

The monarchy has traditionally been supported by the Nepal military and wealthy citizens but has not earned the respect among rural farmers. The monarchy operated like a holding company. It owned tea and tobacco estates and a Kathmandu five-star hotel. The Nepalese king didn’t enjoy the same kind of support from ordinary citizens as the Thai king.

See Government History

Panchayat System

From 1962 to 1990 Nepal was governed through a four-tiered system of representative government called the “panchayat” system with elected representatives at the 1) multi-village level, 2) ward level, 3) district level and 4) national level council that were largely under the control of the king, who also had the power to directly appoint and dismiss the prime minister and the cabinet. The Panchayat system is established in 1962. A national referendum voted to support the Panchayat system in 1980.

In April 1962, King Mahendra (ruled 1955-1972) instituted the indirect, nonparty “panchayat” (village council) government. The system was ostensibly set up to be responsive to local needs and inputs, but local councils had little effective power and often served as sources of patronage for the king, who continued to retain both absolute authority and support from the military. King Mahendra cited alleged inefficiency and corruption in government as evidence that Nepal was not ready for Western-style democracy. He gave himself absolute power. He curbed freedoms of speech, assembly and press, and established a rubber-stamp government and parliament, made criticism of the monarchy a criminal offense. In 1967, the king, under Indian pressure, began gradually liberalizing his government. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005; “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook, Gale, 2009]

The panchayat system was created by the 1962 constitution. At the local level, there were 4,000 village assemblies (gaun sabha) electing nine members of the village panchayat, who in turn elected a mayor (sabhapati). Each village panchayat sent a member to sit on one of seventy-five district (zilla) panchayat, representing from forty to seventy villages; one-third of the members of these assemblies were chosen by the town panchayat. Members of the district panchayat elected representatives to fourteen zone assemblies (anchal sabha) functioning as electoral colleges for the National Panchayat, or Rashtriya Panchayat, in Kathmandu. [Source: Library of Congress *]

In addition, there were class organizations at village, district, and zonal levels for peasants, youth, women, elders, laborers, and ex-soldiers, who elected their own representatives to assemblies. The National Panchayat of about ninety members could not criticize the royal government, debate the principles of partyless democracy, introduce budgetary bills without royal approval, or enact bills without approval of the king. Mahendra was supreme commander of the armed forces, appointed (and had the power to remove) members of the Supreme Court, appointed the Public Service Commission to oversee the civil service, and could change any judicial decision or amend the constitution at any time. To many of the unlettered citizens of the country, the king was a spiritual force as well, representing the god Vishnu upholding dharma on earth. Within a span of ten years, the king had, in effect, reclaimed the unlimited power exercised by Prithvi Narayan Shah in the eighteenth century. *

See Government History

Democracy in Nepal

Democracy Index: Nepal is ranked 92nd out of 167 countries and classified a hybrid regime. Its score in 2020 was 4.83 (compared to Norway, ranked first with a score of 9.87 and North Korean ranked last with a score of 1.08). The index is based on 60 indicators grouped in five different categories, measuring pluralism, civil liberties and political culture. [Source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Wikipedia Wikipedia ]

The 1990 constitution established a constitutional monarchy with a legislature consisting of the king and two houses of parliament, the house of representatives (lower house) and the national council (upper house). The house of representatives had 205 members and the national council 60. The country was divided into 14 zones and 75 districts. The districts were further divided into smaller units — into municipalities and village development committees (VDC). At present, there are 3,913 VDCs and 58 municipalities [Source: Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, Thomson Gale, 2007]

After the restoration of democracy in 1990, the most prominent players in Nepalese politics were the king, the political parties, and the Maoist rebels. The single most powerful political entity was the king, who is the head of state, supreme commander of the Royal Nepal Army, and the constitutionally declared symbol of both the nation and national unity. The Raj Parishad, or King’s Council, determined accession to the throne and the heir apparent, and the king appointed its members. The rule of kings was culturally legitimized by the belief that kings were an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu and are upholders of dharma on earth, although it is debated how widely such beliefs were held. Royal power was based on strong ties with the military and economic elites. [Source: Library of Congress]

See Government History

Government Branches in Nepal

The government of Nepal is federal parliamentary republic with an elected parliamentary government somewhat similar to the one in Great Britain. There are three branches: 1) the executive branch;, 2) legislative branch; and judicial branch. The main leader of Nepal is the prime minister, who is the leader of the party with the most seats in parliament. The prime minister and his cabinet heads the executive branch, which embraces the country’s administration and bureaucracy..

The legislative branch is comprised of a bicameral legislature consisting of a 59-seat National Assembly and 275-seat House of Representatives. Elections are called by every five years or earlier if the ruling party wants to have an election before then. The rules for how the legislature would conduct itself were established after much effort in the new constitution enacted in 2015.

The Judicial branch’s highest court is the Supreme Court. It consists of the chief justice and up to 20 judges. The subordinate courts are 16 High Court and 75 district courts The Supreme Court chief justice is appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Constitutional Council, a 5-member, high-level advisory body headed by the prime minister. Other judges are appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Judicial Council, a 5-member advisory body headed by the chief justice. The chief justice serves a six-year term; judges serve until age 65

Nepal's judiciary is legally separated from the executive and legislative branches and over the years has demonstrated it independence from political pressures. There is some concerns that will not always be the case due to the influence of the prime minister and president in the selection of the Chief Justice. All lower court decisions, including acquittals, are subject to appeal. The Supreme Court is the court of last appeal. [Source: “Countries of the World and Their Leaders” Yearbook, Gale, 2009]

Head of Government and Executive Branch of Nepal’s Government

In Nepal, the prime minister is more powerful than president. The prime minister is the head of the executive branch and most executive power lies with the prime minister. Government administration and the cabinet are under control of the prime minister. The presidency is a constitutional post and is largely ceremonial. The president is involved somewhat in the selection of judges but does not have much input into decisions made in connection with the cabinet or the parliament. The president is officially the head of the state and chief of the Nepal Army.

Executive branch: head of government: Prime Minister Khadga Prasad (KP) Sharma OLI (since February 2018); chief of state: President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since October 2015); deputy prime ministers Ishwar POKHREL, Upendra YADAV (since June 2018). [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]

The president is indirectly elected by an electoral college of the Federal Parliament and of the state assemblies for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term). The last election was in March 2018. The next is 2023. 2018 election results: Bidhya Devi BHANDARI reelected president; electoral vote — Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (CPN-UML) 39,275, Kumari Laxmi RAI (NC) 11,730. Head of state: President Bidhya Devi BHANDARI (since 29 October 2015); Vice President Nanda Bahadar PUN (since 31 October 2015)

The prime minister is indirectly elected by the Federal Parliament based on the results of the election for House of Representatives last held November and December 2017 and held next in 2022. The cabinet, the Council of Ministers, is appointed by the prime minister. As of 2020 it was dominated by Nepal Communist Party members. Prime Minister Khadga Prasad (KP) Sharma OLI (since February 2018). He was selected after the election for the National Assembly also in February 2018. The next election is in 2024.

Before the monarch was abolished in 2006 and 2008, Executive power was held by the king and the Council of Ministers, which was headed by the prime minister and consisted of ministers appointed by the king on the prime minister’s recommendation. Often referred to as His Majesty’s Government of Nepal, the Council of Ministers was responsible for the general administration of the country as well as authenticating all transactions made in the king’s name, except those in the king’s exclusive domain. The Council of Ministers had a central secretariat consisting of 22 ministries and the secretariat of the National Planning Commission. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005 **]

Executive Branch When Nepal Was a Constitutional Monarchy

When Nepal was a constitution monarchy executive powers were vested in the king and the Council of Ministers — a prime minister, deputy prime minister, and other ministers as required. The direction, supervision, and conduct of the general administration of the country were the responsibility of the Council of Ministers. All transactions made in the name of the king, except those within his exclusive domain, were authenticated by the Council of Ministers. [Source: Andrea Matles Savada, Library of Congress, 1991 *]

The king appointed the leader of the political party commanding a majority in the House of Representatives as prime minister. If a single party did not have a majority in the house, the member commanding a majority on the basis of two or more parties was asked to form the government. When this alternative also was not possible, the king could ask the leader of a party holding the largest number of seats in the house to form the government. In this case, the leader forming the government had to obtain a vote of confidence in the house within thirty days. If a vote of no confidence was obtained, the king would dissolve the house and order new elections within six months. Other ministers were appointed by the king from members of Parliament on the recommendation of the prime minister.

The constitution declared the king the symbol of the nation and the unity of its people. Expenditures and privileges of the king and royal family were determined by law. The king was obliged to obey and protect the constitution. Although, as in previous constitutions the monarch remained the supreme commander of the Royal Nepal Army, a three-member National Defence Council, headed by the prime minister, commands the military. Nonetheless, the king retained his power over the army because if there were a threat to sovereignty, indivisibility, or security because of war, foreign aggression, armed revolt, or extreme economic depression, he could declare a state of emergency. During the period of emergency — which would have to be approved by the House of Representatives within three months and which would remain in effect for six months from the date of its announcement, renewable for six months — fundamental rights, with the exception of the right of habeas corpus, could be suspended. Additional prerogatives of the king included the power to grant pardons; suspend, commute, or remit any sentence passed by any court; confer titles, honors, or decorations of the kingdom; appoint all ambassadors and emissaries for the kingdom; and remove any barriers to enforcing the constitution. The king also nominated the members of the Raj Parishad (King's Council), the body that determines the accession to the throne of the heir apparent.

Parliament and Legislative Branch of Nepal’s Government

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of: 59-seat National Assembly and 275-seat House of Representatives. The first election for the National Assembly was held in February 2018. The next will be in 2024. The first election for House of Representatives was held in November and December 2017. The next will be held in 2022. The percentage of women in Federal Parliament: 33.5 percent. [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]

National Assembly (59 seats; 56 members, including at least 3 women, 1 Dalit, 1 member with disabilities, or 1 minority indirectly elected by an electoral college of state and municipal government leaders, and 3 members, including 1 woman, nominated by the president of Nepal on the recommendation of the government; members serve 6-year terms with renewal of one-third of the membership every 2 years)

House of Representatives (275 seats; 165 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 110 members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

The first election for the 59-seat National Assembly was held in February 2018. The next will be in 2024. 2018 election results: seats by party — Nepal Communist Party (NCP): 42; Nepali Congress (NC): 13; Federal Socialist Forum, Nepal (FSFN): 2; Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN): 2.The composition is 37 men and 22 women (37.3 percent women).

The first election for 275-seat House of Representatives was held in November and December 2017. The next will be held in 2022. 2017 election results: seats by party — Nepal Communist Party (NCP): 174; Nepali Congress (NC): 63; Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJPN): 17; Federal Socialist Forum: Nepal (FSFN): 16: Other: 4; Independent: 1. The composition is 185 men and 90 women (32.7 percent women).

Legislative When Nepal was a Constitutional Monarchy

The legislature when Nepal was a constitutional monarchy was not that strong. The strongest party was the Nepali Congress Party (NC), followed by the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) There were as many as 30 political parties and they produced weak governments and strange coalitions. Legislators occasionally knocked on podiums and scuffled with guards. All this suited the king and his effort to keep power to himself.

In the mid 2000s, Nepal’s legislature consisted of the king and a bicameral parliament. The king’s legislative powers were technically ceremonial, but the king approved or returned for reconsideration all bills approved by the two houses of parliament, except finance bills. The lower house of parliament, the House of Representatives (Pratindidhi Sabha), had authority over the Council of Ministers and was regarded as the more powerful of the two houses. The lower house had 205 members directly elected for five-year terms. The prime minister was the leader of the majority party and the country’s chief executive. The upper house, the National Council (Rashtriya Sabha), had 60 members, who were appointed or indirectly elected to six-year terms: the king appointed 10 members, the House of Representatives elected 35, and an electoral college elected 15, three from each developmental region. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005 **]

The administrative districts were the election districts; and each district's allocation of seats was proportional to its population. All persons eighteen years or older were enfranchised. In the 1990s the National Council had sixty members consisting of ten nominees of the king; thirty-five members, including at least three women, to be elected by the House of Representatives by means of a single transferable vote, pursuant to the system of proportional representation; and fifteen members to be elected by the electoral college comprising the voters, including the chair and deputy chair of the village and town and district committees of various development regions. The National Council was a permanent body; onethird of its members must retire every two years. Council members serve six-year terms. [Source: Andrea Matles Savada, Library of Congress, 1991 *]

Bills could be introduced in either house except finance bills, which were introduced only by the lower house. All bills had to be passed by both houses and then receive royal assent. If the upper house rejected a bill, the lower house could override. If the king returned a bill for reconsideration, a joint session of parliament could pass the bill, which then automatically received royal assent within 30 days. The king could promulgate ordinances, but only when both houses of parliament were not in session, and such ordinances were not effective until approved by both houses. The king could dissolve the House of Representatives for a period of six months, after which new elections had to be held, but the National Assembly was a permanent body. Nevertheless, King Gyanendra dissolved both houses in May 2002. ** Financial procedures were outlined in part ten of the constitution, which stated that taxes could not be levied or loans raised except in accordance with the law. *

Judicial Branch in Nepal

The 2015 constitution is the fundamental law of the land and establishes a three-tier court system consisting of 75 district courts, 16 appellate courts, and the Supreme Court. Village and municipal bodies may exercise quasi-judicial functions for minor offenses. All courts have original jurisdiction, but district courts have original jurisdiction over most judicial matters. The Supreme Court also has appellate jurisdiction and jurisdiction over all courts, except military courts, and Supreme Court orders, decisions, and interpretations are binding on all, including the king. The Supreme Court has a chief justice appointed by the king on the recommendation of the Constitutional Council and 14 judges appointed under the recommendation of the Judicial Council, which also appoints appellate and district court judges. The House of Representatives can impeach Supreme Court justices. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005]

See Separate Article JUSTICE SYSTEM IN NEPAL: COURTS, LEGAL CODES, VILLAGE COUNCILS

Elections in Nepal

Many of Nepal voters walk long miles on mountain paths to get to voting stations. In Kathmandu in the 1990s, traffic was banned to prevent people from speeding around town to vote at several polling stations under different names. At that time the border between India and Nepal was closed to prevent Indian thugs from entering the country and intimidating voters. The sale of alcohol has been banned for three days before the election to discourage rowdy, lawless behavior. In parliamentary elections in the 2000s, Nepalese waited in long longs to enter the polling stations and nearly 45,000 police officers and security guards guarded against attacks by Maoist rebels. The election was held in two stages to allow security forces to adequately cover all the polling stations.

Legal voting age: 18 (compared to 16 in Ethiopia and Austria and 25 in United Arab Emirates, most country are 18) [Source: worldatlas.com]

Voter turnout for parliamentary elections: 68.7 percent in 2017; 78.3 percent in 2013; 63.3 percent in 2008; 65.8 percent in 1999. [Source: IDEA idea.int ]

Electoral System When Nepal Was a Monarchy

The 1990 constitution guaranteed the citizens' unfettered rights to political pluralism and a multiparty democracy. All legitimate political organizations or parties that registered with the Election Commission were allowed to publicize and broadcast for the purpose of securing support and cooperation of the general public toward their objectives and programs. Any law, arrangement, or decision that restricted any of these activities was inconsistent with the constitution and void. Any law, arrangement, or decision to impose a one-party system was also inconsistent with the constitution and void. Under the section on political organization, any political party was not eligible for registration if it discriminated, if at least 5 percent of its candidates were not women, or if it failed to obtain at least 3 percent of the total votes cast in the previous election to the House of Representatives. [Source: Andrea Matles Savada, Library of Congress, 1991 *]

The minimum age to run for office was 21 for local offices, 25 for the House of Representatives, and 35 for the National Assembly. Members of village development committees and municipalities were directly elected and constituted an electoral college that elected district development committee members. A district’s number of representatives for national office was proportional to the district’s population, and the number of representatives for district and local offices was based on area, population, and other factors.

The Electoral Commission oversaw elections and political parties. Elections were held in 1991, 1994, and 1999, but elections scheduled for November 13, 2002, were suspended. From 1991 to 1999, the number of voters increased from 11.2 million to 13.5 million, and turnout remained at nearly 65 percent. Although the number of voters in 1999 was evenly split between males and females, only 143 of the 2,238 candidates for the House of Representatives were women, and just 12 women were elected. In the same election, there were 205 election constituencies, 6,821 polling centers, and 100 political parties, 39 of which stood for election. Parties’ election expenditures were legally limited. To run for office, a party must have received 3 percent of votes in the previous parliamentary election, and 5 percent of its candidates must be women. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005 **]

Women in Government in Nepal

The percentage of women in Federal Parliament: 33.5 percent. The composition of the 59-seat National Assembly is 37 men and 22 women (37.3 percent women). The composition of the 275-seat House of Representatives is 185 men and 90 women (32.7 percent women). [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]

Year women obtained the right to vote in Nepal: 1951, the same year men did when Nepal became a semi-democracy (compared to 1893 in New Zealand and 2011 in Saudi Arabia) [Source: infoplease.com ; Wikipedia

Proportion of seats held by women in national legislatures: 33 (compared to 53 percent in Bolivia, 20 percent in the United States and 3 percent in Kuwait) [Source: World Bank worldbank.org]

Although the number of voters in 1999 was evenly split between males and females, only 143 of the 2,238 candidates for the House of Representatives were women, and just 12 women were elected. In the same election, there were 205 election constituencies, 6,821 polling centers, and 100 political parties, 39 of which stood for election. Parties’ election expenditures were legally limited. To run for office, a party must have received 3 percent of votes in the previous parliamentary election, and 5 percent of its candidates must be women. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005 **]

The leading female politician in Nepal for many years was Angur Baba Joshi (1932-2020). She was a pioneer in many fields for women. She was Nepal’s first woman university graduate, the first female school principal and for many years the only woman in government policymaking circles.

Increasing the Number of Women in Nepalese Government

“Nepal now has one of the world’s largest gender quota systems, intended to swiftly increase the number of women in politics. Since the civil war between Maoist rebels and state forces ended in 2006, the government has adopted quotas that reserve seats for women and, in particular, women from disadvantaged caste and ethnic groups – like Basel. In 2007, quotas were enacted at the national level; this year, in the country’s first local elections in 20 years, they are being enacted for cities and districts. [Source: Tricia Taormina, Christian Science Monitor, September 14, 2017]

“Quotas are a controversial solution, with critics saying they propel women past more qualified male candidates. Yet, for the most part, the quotas here have been welcomed, and the elections have spurred hope of change. But the real challenge, women’s advocates say, comes after the ballots are turned in. Gender quotas guarantee women are elected, but experts say additional efforts can help them participate meaningfully once in office.

“Ila Sharma, an election commissioner, says the government plans to train newly elected women for their positions. And after Nepal’s turbulent path to democracy, she believes the quotas are essential. “Everybody – women, Dalits, minority groups, Muslims – they all have to be here,” she says, sitting in her office near a framed photo of President Bidhya Devi Bhandari, Nepal’s first female head of state. “Then only can we practice democracy.”

“Today, Nepal leads South Asia with the most women in parliament, and since May has elected 11,630 women to local government bodies, according to its Election Commission. But even with the quotas, women’s political representation still trails behind other equality indicators, like their access to education and paid work opportunities.

Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np), Nepal Government National Portal (nepal.gov.np), The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Wikipedia and various books, websites and other publications.

Last updated February 2022