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🇳🇵 Nepal /Elections & Politics

RSP's women leaders on what it took to reach a majority

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has achieved a historic milestone by bringing nearly 51 percent women into its Central Committee.
  • This achievement is built upon decades of evolving legal mandates for women's political participation in Nepal, including quotas at national and local levels.
  • Despite the high representation in the Central Committee, the party faces challenges in increasing women's presence in top leadership roles.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) in Nepal has made history by achieving nearly 51 percent female representation in its Central Committee, a significant leap in the nation's political landscape. This milestone reflects a broader, decades-long evolution of legal frameworks designed to enhance women's participation in Nepali politics.

That made me feel woke.

— Anushka ShresthaReflecting on the low number of women organizers at an internal party event.

Historically, women's formal involvement in Nepali politics began in 1951, but progress was slow without binding requirements. A 1990 quota mandating only 5 percent of candidates be women resulted in minimal representation. However, a 1997 ordinance requiring one woman per ward at the local level dramatically shifted participation, leading to over 36,000 elected women. Subsequent constitutional changes, including the 2007 Interim Constitution and the 2015 Constitution, mandated one-third representation in federal and provincial legislatures, later increasing to 40 percent locally.

Let’s not think of gender now. Let’s just bring the best up.

— AlliesAn example of a common sentiment that hinders gender equity.

The Political Party Act of 2016 further pushed for internal party reform, requiring parties to maintain 33 percent women in their committees. RSP has not only met this but exceeded it, with 36 percent women in its committees last year, the highest among studied parties. This historical context underscores the foundation upon which RSP's current achievement is built.

That’s exactly what equity isn’t. Equity is about pulling things up so that they are equitable.

— Anushka ShresthaExplaining the concept of equity versus simply selecting the 'best'.

Despite the high numbers in the Central Committee, challenges remain in elevating women to the highest echelons of leadership. Nisha Dangi, Joint General Secretary, noted that while the Central Committee boasts 51 percent women, only two women, herself and Vice-President Sobita Gautam, hold top office-bearer positions. This disparity highlights the ongoing struggle to translate broad representation into top-tier leadership, even within a party that has championed gender equity.

I literally couldn’t find women. [...] If someone like me says they won’t join, how will anyone else?

— Nisha DangiDescribing the difficulty in finding female candidates for the party's proportional representation list.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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