Empty Inclusion

Following years of political unrest and civil war, Nepal marked a historic milestone in 2015, with Bidya Devi Bhandari becoming its first female president, signalling a shift towards inclusivity. The 2015 constitution mandated 33% female representation in all state bodies and key municipal roles to challenge long-standing gender inequality. Backed by women’s rights advocacy, these reforms led to over 14,000 women winning local seats. With 41.5% female representation in local governments and 34% in parliament, Nepal has emerged as a regional leader in gender-inclusive governance.

Although these legislative systems have given a solid basis for raising female representation, the road towards real political empowerment is still full of difficulties going beyond simple statistics. Critics contend that many female leaders find themselves excluded from decision-making processes, exposing a structural tokenism whereby quotas are met on paper but actual power remains concentrated in the hands of their male counterparts. The current system often relegates women to deputy roles. Deep-rooted cultural standards that have, for millennia, insisted that political power and leadership are naturally masculine characteristics aggravate this phenomenon of “empty inclusion.” Many areas of Nepal still have traditional ideas that stigmatise women in politics, label them as negligent mothers or morally dubious, and therefore present strong social and psychological obstacles for women hoping to occupy high office. Therefore, ingrained patriarchal traditions frequently compromise women’s capacity to influence policy choices and shape national dialogue even as the numbers of women in political roles grow.

Particularly in rural regions where low access to resources and financial independence limits women’s willingness to campaign, network, or participate in politics, economic inequities further impede women’s political engagement in Nepal. While metropolitan women gain from infrastructure and technology, rural women remain economically excluded, therefore supporting male-dominated power systems and holding down the advancement towards gender-inclusive leadership.

Despite these challenges, Nepal’s political landscape has witnessed a surge of innovative women who have transcended traditional boundaries and redefined the parameters of political leadership. By their achievements, trailblazers like President Bidya Devi Bhandari, former House Speaker Onsari Gharti, and Minister of Urban Development Padma Kumari Aryal have shown that change is definitely possible even in a society with strongly rooted patriarchal practices. Leaders like Dalit woman Srijana Chaudhary, elected as deputy mayor in Dang, have grassroots support for anti-discrimination legislation and advocate improvements directly addressing the issues of impoverished communities. Similarly, Renu Dahal, the mayor of Bharatpur Metropolitan City, has made tremendous success by giving infrastructure and healthcare reforms the first priority, therefore tackling the everyday problems faced by ordinary people. These leaders stand for a viewpoint that political parties all across are gradually accepting. Legal restrictions and public pressure have caused major parties such as the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and Nepali Congress to set aside 33% of their candidates for women. This indicates more of a will to alter the political landscape. Notwithstanding these initiatives to raise female involvement, the lack of a female chairperson in any significant party highlights the ongoing barrier preventing women’s progress to the highest levels of political influence.

Even greater support for the momentum generated by constitutional amendments and distinguished leadership comes from a vibrant network of grassroots groups developing to be the engine of change throughout Nepal. Women’s collective efforts, Aama Samuha, have been vital in raising support for gender-inclusive laws and in raising awareness of the importance of political participation together with various non-governmental groups, including the Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC). Often spotlighting well-known cases like the 2020 march demanding justice for the rape and murder of a Dalit girl in Rupandehi, these groups have coordinated voter education campaigns meant to counter patriarchal voting practices, conducted legal literacy programs empowering women to assert their rights, and staged demonstrations against gender-based violence. By aligning national reforms more with global norms, international organisations like UN Women and the European Union have helped Nepali women’s views be heard. This is particularly relevant for Sustainable Development Goal 5 of the UN, which advocates female equality and the empowerment of every woman and girl.