Editorial photo #13501997 Politics

Nepal’s Rapper Turned Politican Balen Forms Government Ensuring 33 Percent Women Participation For The First Time

Dr. Swarnim Wagle (center), Nepali Finance Minister under Prime Minister Balendra Shah, arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 27, 2026, after taking the oath of secrecy to attend a cabinet meeting. On the same day, Prime Minister Shah took the oath of office during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kathmandu. The newly formed 15-member cabinet includes five women MPs, meeting the constitutional provision of one-third women participation for the first time. Women ministers have been appointed from both proportional and direct election categories. Sita Badi is the Minister for Women, Children, and Senior Citizens; Sobita Gautam is the Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs; Pratibha Rawal is the Minister for General Administration; Nisha Mehta is the Minister for Health and Population; and Geeta Chaudhary leads the Ministry of Agriculture. Article 38(4) of the Constitution mandates women's participation in all state organs based on proportional and inclusive principles, while Article 84(2) and Article 176 require at least one-third female representation in the House of Representatives and provincial assemblies, respectively. Previous federal cabinets had not fully implemented these provisions. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)