KATHMANDU:- With the latest appointment of Gauri Kumari Yadav as the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies, women’s participation in the government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah has increased the to about 40 percent.

Six women ministers have been appointed in the 16-member Council of Ministers. This is 37.5 percent.

Various individuals including human rights activists have also praised this step of the government. When the new government led by Prime Minister Shah was unveiled, Sobita Gautam was appointed as the Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Geeta Chaudhary as the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Sita Badi as the Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, and Nisha Mehta as the Minister of Health and Population.

On the recommendation of Prime Minister Shah, President Ramchandra Poudel today appointed Gauri Kumari Yadav as the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. Although the Constitution of Nepal ensures at least 33 per cent women’s participation in state bodies this goal was often not achieved in previous governments.

Former member of the National Human Rights Commission, Mohana Ansari, said that such a high participation of women in the Council of Ministers is the first in the history of the country and emphasized that it should be considered as an important and positive achievement.

Also, election of Ruby Thakur as Deputy Speaker is a strong indication of the government’s sensitivity towards the inclusive agenda, she added.

According to senior advocate Meera Dhungana, this participation is not only satisfactory but also an opportunity to increase policy sensitivity. “Women’s participation will help in taking sensitive decisions on women-related issues,” she said and suggested that women’s participation should be increased to 50 percent in the near future.

Advocate Bhavana Dahal said that diversity is also important along with numbers and believed that the current Council of Ministers has sent a positive message.