Political parties have fielded just nine female candidates for the first phase of federal and provincial assembly polls scheduled for November 26.
Just three women filed nominations for the federal parliament and six for provincial assemblies on Sunday, according to the Election Commission. Two of the three female candidates fielded for parliament are from Nepali Congress (NC) and the other one from the left alliance.
NC has fielded Saraswati Bajimaya from Khotang, and Champa Devi Khadka from Baglung-1, and the left alliance Kamala Rokka of CPN (Maoist Center) from Eastern Rukum.
The left alliance has handed over tickets to five women for the provincial assemblies and NC one. The left alliance has fielded UML's former state minister Nara Devi Pun from Maygdi (B) and Khanda Lama Gurung from Manang (B), and Maoist Center's Radhika Tamang from Nuwakot-1 (A), Kamala Naharki from Gorkha-2 (B), and Devki Malla from Bajhang (B). Lila Devi Bokhim is the NC's sole female candidate from Taplejung (A).
The first phase of elections will elect a total of 111 representatives from 32 districts including 37 parliamentarians, and 74 provincial assembly members.
Just eight percent of the candidates who filed nominations on Sunday are women despite the constitution requiring 33 percent of the parliamentarians and provincial assembly members to be women.
