KATHMANDU, JANUARY 17
Half-a-dozen women have participated in the Cabinet formed this time. In the 23-member Cabinet, 26 per cent are women.
Women's rights activists have said this participation is not satisfactory. A women's rights activist said political parties have not ensured the mandatory 33 per cent women's participation in the government as envisioned in the constitution.
She said there are currently four deputy prime ministers, but none of them are women.
Another women's rights activist said though women's participation is not satisfactory, women have got important ministries this time, which is a positive sign. So far, none of the governments formed after the promulgation of the constitution in 2015 have ensure 33 per cent women's participation in the Cabinet.
The government led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal has six female ministers. CPN-UML, which has got the highest number of ministers in the Cabinet, has given three ministries to females. From UML Bimala Rai Paudyal has become the minister of foreign affairs, Jwalakumari Shah the minister of agriculture, and Bhagwati Chaudhary the minister of women, children and senior citizens.
Similarly, Rekha Sharma has become the minister of communications and information technology from the CPN-Maoist Centre. Maoist's Sushila Shripali has become the minister of state for tourism. Similarly, Toshima Karki from Rastriya Swatantra party has become the minister of state for health and population.
Among all the ministries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is considered very important and strategic around the globe. It is also a high-profile ministry in Nepal. So far, after Sahana Pradhan and Sujata Koirala, Rai has got chance as a woman to become the foreign minister.
Similarly, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative Development and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology are also considered important ministries.
There were six women in the Cabinet led by Sher Bahadur Deuba with Pampha Bhusal as minister of energy, Renu Yadav as minister of physical infrastructure, Uma Regmi as minister of women, children and senior citizens, Shashi Shrestha as minister of land management and cooperatives, Ramkumari Jhankri as urban development minister and Bodhmayakumari Yadav as minister of state for education. Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli's Cabinet formed in 2017 had four members namely Thammaya Thapa, minister of women, children and senior citizens; Beena Magar, minister of water supply; Padmakumari Aryal minister of health and population and Ram Kumari Chaudhary, minister of state for agriculture.
After the dissolution of the Parliament for the second time, Oli, who was leading the caretaker government, reconstituted the Cabinet in June 2021. At that time, two women ministers were appointed in his Cabinet, Chanda Chaudhary, minister of women, children and senior citizens and Renuka Gurung, minister of state for women, children and senior citizens.
Dahal, who became the prime minister for the second time, included only one woman in his 20-member Cabinet formed in 2016. Similarly, there were three women among the 14 state ministers. Sher Bahadur Deuba, who became the prime minister less than a year later, expanded his government several times. However, women's participation was dismal.
A version of this article appears in the print on January 18, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
