Nepal's New PM Appoints Five Women to 15-Member Cabinet

• The new government has a 15-member cabinet headed by the Prime Minister Balendra Shah; the cabinet has five women ministers
• The formation of the new government's cabinet shows a level of inclusion in the new government

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has included five women members in his 15-strong cabinet, suggesting a degree of gender inclusion as the new government takes its early steps towards policy direction.

The newly appointed ministers, Sobita Gautam, Sita Badi, Nisha Mehta, Geeta Chaudhary, and Pratibha Rawal, were sworn in by President Ram Chandra Paudel at Shital Niwas on Friday.

The newly appointed ministers are part of the overall cabinet formation by the Rastriya Swatantra Party-led government, which has wasted no time in getting down to work.

Of the five, Sobita Gautam has been appointed as Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs. Sita Badi has been entrusted with the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens, whereas Geeta Chaudhary has been given charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development (MoALD).

Nisha has been appointed as Minister for Health and Population, with additional responsibility for Water Supply, whereas Pratibha has been tasked with the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration (MoFAGA), including Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation.

There are several portfolios held by women ministers, such as health, law, agriculture and social development, as well as a variety of other ministries. How successful these women are in the next few days will be determined by how well they implement their policies.

The fact that Sita has become the country’s first woman minister from a marginalized community the Badi community makes her an important part of history; for she has moved from a grassroots position to a senior level in the government.

Sita has been involved in developing programs for women’s economic empowerment and independence through skills training. Additionally, she has said she plans to carry out social reform programs that emphasize outcomes.

Upon taking office at Singha Durbar, the Minister for Law, Sobita Gautam, has stated her intention to reform the justice system to expedite the court processes for the issue of sexual and gender-based violence.

She noted that multiple legislative pieces, such as the National Criminal Procedure Code 2074, the Criminal Offense and Punishment Determination and Implementation Act 2074, and the National Civil Code 2074, shall require amendment to accomplish the above-stated goal of justice delivery.

Nisha has recently been appointed Minister for Health and Population, becoming only the third female minister to hold an entire portfolio in Nepal's health department.

She has extensive experience in nursing and educational fields and has been employed within the healthcare system, both domestically and internationally.

Nisha's appointment is significant, as it represents women, as well as the Madhesi ethnic minority groups in one of the most important sectors of public services healthcare.