Unfulfilled promises: Assessing women’s participation in local governance in Nepal

House of Representatives election act, 2017, section 60(4) has ensured 33 per cent of seats for women in the parliament and all other highest positions such as president and vice president, speaker and deputy speaker of Parliament (in both upper and lower houses), mayor and Deputy Mayor where one of two must be female has been provisioned.

Further, it has ensured inclusive provisions and other provisions have increased women’s participation comparatively at the local level as well. With all these provisions in Nepal’s constitution, the status of women’s representation at the local level is still unsatisfactory due to the loopholes of the law, which have hampered their representation.