On Oct. 28, the Nepalese parliament elected its first female president, Vidya Devi Bhandari, to serve as a ceremonial head. The leading communist leader and ardent women’s rights activist rose to power after a new constitution adopted in September stipulated that Nepal name a new president. The document also requires that one-third of Parliament must be comprised of women and either the president or vice president of the country must be a woman. How do you react to Bhandari’s election, and do you believe the newly developed constitution effectively furthers women’s rights and displays good governing procedures?


Bidushi Adhikari '17

Bhandari’s election was definitely a win for Nepal after decades of political turmoil and the recent natural disaster. Along with the new constitution, Nepal  finally seems to be living up to a  definition of democracy, one which attempts to address issues of gender inequality. However, like many other things, western media has definitely glamorized the Nepali election, especially given that many western countries have yet to elect a female prime minister themselves. Bhandari’s election is largely symbolic, for Nepal and for the rest of the world. This isn’t necessarily without impact, as hope and symbolic value can be strong, driving forces for citizens. Bhandari’s election is a gateway for Nepal to reevaluate its policies and established system and, using the new constitution as a base, to incorporate the same kind of equality into the social, economic and, of course, political systems. Because placing one female leader in government does not do much to that average Nepali girl who has to abandon her education and get married at 15.

Bidushi Adhikari ’17 is a Nepalese student majoring in Sociology and Economics.


Prof. Daniel Breen (LGLS)
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in Asia.  Throughout the world, there is strong evidence that poverty is experienced especially seriously by women.  This will be true as long as much of the work that women are expected to do is unpaid and as long as the educational and professional opportunities available to men are not equally available to women.  (In Nepal, for example, the literacy rate among women is much lower than it is among men).  Under these circumstances, it is sound political practice for countries like Nepal to guarantee a certain percentage of policy-making positions in government to women, at least to make sure that their essential perspectives on such issues not only get a fair hearing, but also stand the best chance of being reflected in concrete action.  

Prof. Daniel Breen (LGLS) is a lecturer in the Legal Studies program. He studied abroad in Nepal. 


Shane Weitzman '16

Bhandari’s election, and Nepal’s requirement that one-third of Parliamentary positions be held by women, is wonderful news for those who affirm that the people elected to government bodies should closely approximate the demographics of that body’s population. This requirement is an excellent opportunity for other democratically-run states to learn from Nepal’s example and create institutional requirements for not just women but all gender groups that don’t hold systemic social, economic, and political power. Bhandrai’s election to a largely ceremonial position can also prompt us to reconsider the accuracy of a “symbolic”and “actual” duality. While her allegiance to Nepali nationalism somewhat obscures her commitment to women’s rights (she supported a provision that prevents Nepali single mothers and women married to non-Nepali citizens from passing citizenship on to their children), her largely woman-centered politics may serve an important role during her tenure as president. Her election reminds us that there is great power in the symbolic.   
Shane Weitzman ’16 is an undergraduate departmental representative for the South Asian Studies department.

Prof. Harleen Singh (WMGS)

 Of course, it’s a great event as Nepal has not only created a new egalitarian constitution but also included a role for women in the new nation by ensuring that the Nepalese Parliament have a required number of female legislators. Vidya Devi will serve largely as a ceremonial head, as the real power resides with the Prime Minister, but sometimes these symbolic moves are necessary too as they set up a precedent for the country to follow.  Women’s rights will not be furthered in Nepal overnight.  The new ideas espoused by its government will take time to filter down to the level of actual social practices. Yet, one has to start somewhere and the change that is taking place in Nepal is also a result of women being intimately involved in the anti-government movements of the years past. So women have been very active in Nepalese politics and life perhaps not just in the ways we can measure from a distance or an American lens.

 Prof. Harleen Singh (WMGS) is an associate professor of Women’s Gender and Sexuality studies.