As we celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day on March 8 under the theme, ‘For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment,’ female participation in Nepal’s government agencies and public bodies remains significantly low. While some progress has been made, women remain underrepresented in key decision-making roles.

Security forces reflect a stark gender gap, with women making up only 10.5 percent of the Nepali Army, 12.2 percent of Nepal Police, and just 9.4 percent of the Armed Police Force. In the civil service, women hold 28.2 percent of positions, indicating a slightly better, yet still unequal, representation.

Local bodies fare comparatively better, with 40.96 percent female representation, but the numbers decline sharply in diplomatic and constitutional roles. Out of 33 ambassadors, only three are women. Constitutional commissions also show a male-dominated trend, with bodies such as the National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission and the Muslim Commission having no female representation at all.

Parliamentary representation remains uneven, with women making up 33.4 percent of the House of Representatives and 37.2 percent of the National Assembly. While some political parties have higher female participation, others, like the CPN (Unified Socialist), have no women in their parliamentary ranks.

These figures highlight the persistent barriers women face in public service, underscoring the need for stronger policies to ensure more equitable gender representation in governance.