March elections highlight persistent gender gap in direct candidacies
Summary
For the March 5 elections, only 11 percent of direct candidates are women, despite constitutional mandates for female representation. Political parties show limited female candidacy in first-past-the-post races, while proportional representation fields more women.
Key Points
- Nepal's Constitution mandates at least one-third female representation in government bodies.
- Only 388 out of 3,406 direct candidates for the March elections, about 11 percent, are women.
- Political parties have fielded 1,855 female candidates under the proportional representation system due to legal obligations.
- Experts call for mandatory female candidacy quotas in direct elections and a supportive environment for women candidates.
