Election of president and speaker heralds hope for Nepali women fraternity

Pabitra Guragai: Nepal’s recent political history has been marked by unprecedented achievements by two women with rural background who have risen to the two prestigious posts – President and Speaker- of the federal republic.

As history is sometimes for making and breaking records, Bidya Devi Bhandari and Onsari Gharti Magar now hold the two coveted posts of the country creating history, to go down as the first female President and female Speaker of the country. Their election to the key posts have broken all conventional beliefs that women are not capable enough to make it to the senior-most and prestigious positions of the state.

The winning of the presidential election of federal Nepal by Bidya Devi Bhandari on October 28 has changed the course of the Nepali politics which would not be out of place to say is almost dominated by male figures.

Bhandari, who was Vice-chair of the CPN-UML, was elected the Head-of-the-State in the parliamentary election by defeating her rival candidate Kul Bahadur Gurung of the Nepali Congress with a huge margin (327 against 214). The second president since the country became republic with the end of a 240-year-old monarchy, Bhandari will go down in history as the first Nepali woman to hold the supreme post.

Born on June 19, 1961 in a remote village of Bhojpur, the district of eastern Nepal, Bhandari joined Communist movement during her school days. Though she confronted various ups and downs in her life, her active involvement in the Nepali politics has finally brought her to this prestigious post.

In similar vein, Gharti, a former Maoist combatant has created history by becoming the first woman speaker of the parliament of Nepal. She was elected unopposed to the post on October 16. It may be noted that Gharti was the immediate past Deputy Speaker as well.

She was born on November 14, 1977 at Jankot of Rolpa district that lies in the mid-western region.

These big strides made by two Nepali female after the announcement of the federal republic constitution in the country has caught national and international attention. Besides, this has brought ray of hopes among the women fraternity in the country. Women from every walk of life are overwhelmed to become witness to the glorious achievement of these two outstanding women.

During the swearing-in-ceremony of President Bhandari, woman lawmaker Ganga Devi Dangi said she felt very proud to see a woman become a president of a country where women have long been suppressed and dominated.

Likewise, Journalist and women right activist Babita Basnet describes the noble development as a historic moment for Nepal. “The new records in the state will boost up the morale of women. Now daughters in the country will grow up dreaming of reaching the pinnacle post of the state one day”, she said.

Charimaya Tamang, recipient of the international award, Hero Acting to End Modern-Day slavery award 2011 and founder of Shakti Samuha, working against women trafficking, views the achievement of Bhandari and Onsari as an inspiration to the entire women community. “It is a matter of pride for the women that two women are now in the supreme posts of the country”, she said. She insists on women participation at the decision making tables to institutionalise social changes in favour of women and finally to improve the holistic status of women. Tamang however cautioned that women’s participation in the supreme posts of the state should not be just for tokenism, their meaningful presence should be ensured.

Bhandari, widow of veteran communist leader Madan Bhandari, had already served as ministers twice and was the vice-chair of CPN (UML) and chair of party-aligned All Nepal Womens Association until her election to the post of the Head-of-the-State.

CNN Hero Pushpa Basnet shares she is overwhelmed with the glorious achievement of the two females. This has aired positive vibes in favour of women. It proves that no achievement is far from Nepali women if they are provided right atmosphere.

A daily wage worker Chandra Khatri from Kavrepalahchowk and currently living at Madhyapur Thimi Bhaktapur, who has no interest in politics at all, says she is excited by the achievement of Bhandari. When asked why, she said that she hopes that it would help change the perception of society towards women.

Achievement of Bhandari and Gharti is already a challenge to the domination of males in the key posts of the state of Nepal, which is a society based on patriarchy. But this is just a good beginning and the entire Nepali women are looking forward to see the achievements of Bhandari and Gharti translate into a meaningful transformation in the daily lives of the more than 50 per cent population of the country. RSS