Pabitra Guragain
Kathmandu, Oct 31: Sexual and gender minorities have urged the political parties to adopt a liberal approach to improve their representation in politics.
At an event organised by the Mayako Pahichan Nepal, an organisation that works for the matrimonial rights of LGBTIQ+ community, here on Wednesday, they urged political parties to not just use them as their vote banks, but rather ensure their representation in each party mechanisms.
The participants demanded political parties ensure at least two percent of representation of the sexual and gender minorities in the political sphere. They stressed that political parties should be open to empowering gender and sexual minorities politically.
Moderating the session, the organization’s Executive Director Sunil Babu Pant said the absence of sexual and gender minorities even at the ward level paints a grim picture in terms of the political representation of the community.
“Election has become costlier and gender and sexual minorities who are themselves in economic crisis are unable to afford the election cost. It prevents them from contesting direct election, that’s why at least two percent representation should be ensured through reservation with policy revisions,” according to the former legislator.
The rights activist who is considered the first gay representing the entire gender and sexual minorities in Nepal’s legislature parliament said it seems not possible for the people of this community to be in politics until a dedicated reservation is implemented targeting them.
Discrimination that gender and sexual minorities face within the home/family has escalated to the public and political sphere, he added.
He further said that on one hand political parties are not liberal in promoting the political rights of gender and sexual minorities, and on the other hand, members of this community have less interest in and understanding of politics.
They need political orientation and literacy so they can cultivate interests in politics, said the member of the first Constituent Assembly (CA- 2008-2013). Also speaking at the event, Queer Nepal’s President Bibek Magar said only the allocation of political membership to gender and sexual monitories will not improve their political rights.
Political parties must ensure a safe and dignified space for the community, “Please, don’t consider us just as your vote banks,” Magar told the political parties.
Ashok Koirala from Sath Sathai, a non-profitable organization, said the participation of sexual and gender minorities is essential in political parties while Bidyut Bajracharya of Janata Samajbadi Party, Bhawani Khadka of CPN (Unified Socialist), Subash Pandey of Scientific Socialist Party and others said now they are aware of the need to amplify voices within the political parties to ensure the political empowerment of this community.
Advocate Rounik Aryal said in collaboration with Mayako Pahichan Nepal they are advocating for political inclusion and reservation for sexual and gender minorities in civil service as well. #nepal #rss #minorities
