Nepal cabinet's diversity questioned over other key appointments

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah's new 17-member cabinet includes six women, representing 35.29% of the ministers. While the cabinet features members from various communities including Madhesi, Janajati, and Dalit, alongside the dominant Khas-Arya, critics argue this diversity is superficial. The core of the criticism lies in appointments made to constitutional and public bodies, which critics claim fall short of the constitutional mandate for proportional inclusion. These bodies, including the judiciary, Election Commission, and National Planning Commission, significantly shape national decisions and are seen as a true test of the government's commitment to representation. Since the cabinet's formation on March 27, it has made over 50 appointments across 28 meetings. However, only four women were among those appointed. Furthermore, representation from Madheshis, Indigenous Janajatis, and Dalits has been notably weak, with the Muslim community entirely absent from these appointments. This pattern extends to key advisory roles, where none of the four initial political advisers appointed were women. The Constitutional Council, also chaired by Prime Minister Shah, has faced similar criticism. A recent recommendation for the chief justice position bypassed the senior-most justice, a woman, drawing sharp condemnation from women's rights activists. Appointments to the Election Commission also lacked gender and regional diversity, with all three appointees being neither women nor Madhesi. These disparities highlight a growing tension between the cabinet's outward appearance of diversity and the reality of appointments in crucial state institutions. Critics question whether the government is consistently applying its commitment to inclusion beyond the cabinet itself, suggesting a disconnect between executive-level representation and the broader administrative and judicial structures.

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The criticism goes beyond individual appointments.