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

Bikram Timilsina, Nepali Minister for Communication and Information Technology, 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 Balendra Shah took the oath of office during a ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kathmandu. The newly formed 15-member cabinet under Prime Minister Shah 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 constitutional provisions until now. (Photo by Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto)

Photo ID	#13502003
Date Taken	27 March 2026
Location	N/A
Photographer	Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto
Category	Politics
Copyright	© 2026 NurPhoto - Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto