How online abuse and patriarchy hold back women in the Nepal election
Source: Himalmag
ON 7 FEBRUARY, Nisha Adhikari, a first-past-the-post (FPTP) candidate in Nepal’s 2026 general election from the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party, posted a Twitter thread detailing the kinds of derogatory messages and comments she had been receiving on social media. Alongside a collage of sexist and often sexualised remarks, Adhikari shared her thoughts:
“The hateful and derogatory words used against female candidates do not reflect the status of women; rather, they mirror the deeply rooted misogynistic mindset in our society. Such language is not disagreement. This is not debate. It is violence born out of power and fear, aimed at driving women out of public life, making them afraid, and silencing them. These comments are not just directed at me; they target all women in politics, in leadership, who dare to speak out.”
ON 7 FEBRUARY, Nisha Adhikari, a first-past-the-post (FPTP) candidate in Nepal’s 2026 general election from the Gatisheel Loktantrik Party, posted a Twitter thread detailing the kinds of derogatory messages and comments she had been receiving on social media. Alongside a collage of sexist and often sexualised remarks, Adhikari shared her thoughts:
“The hateful and derogatory words used against female candidates do not reflect the status of women; rather, they mirror the deeply rooted misogynistic mindset in our society. Such language is not disagreement. This is not debate. It is violence born out of power and fear, aimed at driving women out of public life, making them afraid, and silencing them. These comments are not just directed at me; they target all women in politics, in leadership, who dare to speak out.”