Kathmandu, July 30: The Feminist Dalit Organization (FEDO) has called for proportional representation of Dalit women in all State mechanisms, reflecting their share of the population.
At a program held Tuesday in Kathmandu to mark the 31st anniversary of the organization, FEDO’s founding Chairperson Durga Sob stressed the urgent need to ensure the equal participation of Dalit women in federal parliament, government, judiciary, and constitutional bodies.
Sob highlighted that despite more than eight decades of struggle, Dalit women remain significantly marginalized—socially, economically, and politically. Their presence in the major pillars of the State—the executive, legislative, and judiciary—remains negligible, she added.
“Dalit women continue to face multi-layered discrimination,” Sob said, recalling their fight for rights that dates back to 2003 BS.
Currently, there is no Dalit woman serving in the National Assembly (NA). Their representation has declined over time: 24 Dalit women were elected to the first Constituent Assembly in 2064 BS, which fell to 22 in the second Assembly in 2070 BS. In the 2074 BS parliamentary elections, only 14 Dalit women made it to the House of Representatives (HoR), and the number has further dropped to just eight at present. None serve in the National Assembly.
FEDO General Secretary Renu Sijapati acknowledged that although some progress has been made in Dalit women’s representation, it remains inadequate. She credited political parties, social organizations, and FEDO itself for contributing to the gains achieved so far, but emphasized the need for stronger legal provisions and better enforcement to improve representation.
According to data shared at the event, only 24 Dalit women were elected to the seven Provincial Assemblies in 2074 BS. That number increased marginally to 27 in 2079 BS.
In terms of ministerial positions, no Dalit woman has ever been appointed as a full federal minister. Kalawati Paswan made history in 2066 BS by becoming the first Dalit woman appointed as State Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Construction. Since then, six Dalit women have served as State Ministers at the federal level.
At the provincial level, Sita Nepali was appointed Minister for Internal Affairs and Law in 2078 BS, and Sita Kumari Sundas served as Minister for Economic Affairs in 2079 BS. In total, only four Dalit women have served as State Ministers at the provincial level.
Their representation at the local level has also declined. In 2074 BS, 21 Dalit women held positions as Deputy Mayors or Vice-Chairpersons, but this number fell to 12 in 2079 BS.
FEDO leaders reiterated that without fair and inclusive representation in policy-making bodies, the aspirations of Dalit women will remain unfulfilled. They urged the government and political stakeholders to address this structural exclusion through concrete policy reforms. #fedo #nepal #dalits
