Nepali women still sidelined in post-uprising polls

Those who contest must confront gendered stereotypes, biased media coverage and online abuse. Read more at straitstimes.com.

KATHMANDU – Nepali women risked their lives in the deadly anti-corruption protests that toppled the government in 2025.

But when the country votes on March 5, they will be largely absent from the ballot as candidates.

The September unrest demanded the end of an entrenched political elite and the rise of a new generation of leaders, ultimately ousting four-time prime minister K.P. Sharma Oli.

Former chief justice Sushila Karki, 73, has since led Nepal as its first woman prime minister. Yet when she steps down after the polls, Parliament is again expected to be dominated by men.

Voters will elect 275 members of the House of Representatives, the Lower Chamber of Parliament – 165 through direct contests and 110 through a party-list proportional representation system.

Just 10 per cent of the more than 3,400 candidates running in the direct vote are women.