Women Lawmakers on Rise in Nepal Parliament

In a latest example for active women participation in politics, Nepali women lawmakers are going to head 50 percent committees of the country’s Federal Parliament.

In a session conducted on September 20, 2018, chairpersons of the ten parliamentary thematic committees were elected unopposed and six women from the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) alone secured the positions for committees under the House of Representatives.

Niru Devi Pal, Shashi Shrestha, Kalyani Khadka, Purna Kumari Subedi, Pabitra Kharel Niraula and Jayapuri Gharti were among the elected.

With this, the number of federal parliament committees led by women grows to eight.

On the other hand, the National Assembly will also have parliamentary committees led by women.

In total, the Federal Parliament has 16 thematic committees with 10 in the House of Representatives and four in the National Assembly and two joint ones.

Elected female lawmakers are looking at this development as a step to fulfilling the constitutional requirements that mandate active women participation in the country’s policy-making.

Shashi Shrestha, one of the elected lawmakers, feels that the proper implementation of the constitutional provision has begun with this development.