UN Women and Election Commission foster dialogue for gender inclusion in Nepali elections
Source: UN Women Asia and the Pacific
Constitutional, political, and legal arrangements have increased representation of women in various levels of governance in Nepal. Despite these improvements, there is still a significant gender disparity, with men overwhelmingly dominating leadership positions, especially at the local level. Almost 98 percent of the heads, presidents and ward presidents of the local level are men.
In this context, UN Women in collaboration with Election Commission of Nepal organized a dialogue entitled “2024 Elections and Women: Nepal’s Efforts, Achievements and Future Directions” in Kathmandu. The dialogue delved into the intersection of elections and women’s representation and highlighted the need to make electoral processes more inclusive for women. Timed with the 114th International Women's Day celebration in Nepal, the event echoed the call to "invest in women to accelerate progress."
Over 100 participants took part in the event, including parliamentarians, elected local and provincial leaders, political party representatives, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations (CSOs), and members of the media.
Organized as a part of concerted efforts to overcome legal, practical, and societal barriers hindering women's participation in politics and leadership, the dialogue was also aimed at fostering gender equality in electoral policies, plans, and strategies.
“In spite of a notable female voter base, women's candidacy remains disproportionately low. The Election Commission of Nepal is actively collaborating with political parties to foster dialogues on essential reforms, including amendments to laws governing party structures,” said Honorable Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, during the event.
Read here the full article published by UN Women on 21 May 2024.
Constitutional, political, and legal arrangements have increased representation of women in various levels of governance in Nepal. Despite these improvements, there is still a significant gender disparity, with men overwhelmingly dominating leadership positions, especially at the local level. Almost 98 percent of the heads, presidents and ward presidents of the local level are men.
In this context, UN Women in collaboration with Election Commission of Nepal organized a dialogue entitled “2024 Elections and Women: Nepal’s Efforts, Achievements and Future Directions” in Kathmandu. The dialogue delved into the intersection of elections and women’s representation and highlighted the need to make electoral processes more inclusive for women. Timed with the 114th International Women's Day celebration in Nepal, the event echoed the call to "invest in women to accelerate progress."
Over 100 participants took part in the event, including parliamentarians, elected local and provincial leaders, political party representatives, government officials, development partners, civil society organizations (CSOs), and members of the media.
Organized as a part of concerted efforts to overcome legal, practical, and societal barriers hindering women's participation in politics and leadership, the dialogue was also aimed at fostering gender equality in electoral policies, plans, and strategies.
“In spite of a notable female voter base, women's candidacy remains disproportionately low. The Election Commission of Nepal is actively collaborating with political parties to foster dialogues on essential reforms, including amendments to laws governing party structures,” said Honorable Chief Election Commissioner, Mr. Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya, during the event.
Read here the full article published by UN Women on 21 May 2024.