Editorial photo #13502001 Politics

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

Sobita Gautam, Nepali Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, arrives at the Office of the Prime Minister in Kathmandu, Nepal, on March 27, 2026, after taking the oath of secrecy to attend the cabinet meeting. On the same day, Prime Minister Balendra 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 is the Minister of Agriculture. According to Article 38(4) of the Constitution, the state must ensure women's participation in all organs on the basis of proportional and inclusive principles, making 33 percent participation mandatory. Article 84(2) guarantees at least one-third female representation in the House of Representatives, while Article 176 requires 33 percent women's representation in provincial assemblies. Previous federal cabinets had not fully implemented these constitutional provisions until now. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)