Women ministers in Nepal

Injina Panthi / December 2, 2019

Source: Mulukko Muhar,Nepalka Mantri ra Samsadharu 2007 dekhi 2075

• After the advent of democracy in Nepal in 1951, it took over eight years for the first woman to become a minister. On May 27, 1959, Dwarika Devi Thakurani was appointed deputy minister of health and local governance in the council of ministers led by BP Koirala.
• After Thakurani, it took another 13 years for a second woman to be appointed deputy minister. On April 16, 1972, Kamala Shah became deputy minister of health in the council of ministers chaired by Kirtinidhi Bista.
• But the country had to wait for 22 years since the advent of democracy to see a woman appointed minister of state. On July 16, 1973, Kamal Shah became the minister of state for health in the council of ministers led by Nagendra Prasad Rijal.
• Only after 37 years since the introduction of democracy that a woman was appointed full minister. On March 9, 1988, Sushila Thapa was appointed minister for health in the council of ministers led by Marich Man Singh Shrestha.
• Shrestha’s council of ministers had set another record. His council, for the first time in the nation’s history, had two women members – Sushila Thapa as minister and Chanda Shah as assistant minister.
• And only after 40 years since the advent of democracy that Sahana Pradhan became the first woman to reach the second position in the cabinet hierarchy. After the people’s movement of 1990, on April 19, 1990, Pradhan was appointed Industry and Commerce Minister in the cabinet led by Krishna Prasad Bhattarai.
• On March 25, 1997, for the first time in Nepal, two women became full ministers — Sahana Pradhan was appointed Minister for Women and Social Welfare and Bidya Bhandari Minister for Population and Environment in the council of ministers led by Lokendra Bahadur Chand.
• On April 15, 1998, Shailaja Acharya became the first woman to be appointed deputy prime minister in the council of ministers led by Girija Prasad Koirala.

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