Our roles are reduced to formalities, say Karnali women representatives

By Kamal Sharma,Dailekh, Dec. 23: Women representatives elected in the local levels have complained that their roles have been reduced to mere formalities, with little real influence on decision-making. They said they are often limited to signing documents or endorsing the legality of decisions taken by others, without meaningful participation.

Galsara BK, an executive council member of Bhagwatimai Rural Municipality, said the issues raised by women representatives in executive council meetings are rarely implemented. “We are not provided with detailed information in village assembly or executive council meetings. Our role is reduced to applauding,” she said. “Even when we raise our points in executive meetings, they are not heard. While preparing the ward budget, plans received from the Tols are discussed, but male representatives dominate the final decisions,” she added.

Similarly, rural municipality member Ranjana Kumari Bhandari said the behaviour of male representatives towards women is discriminatory. “Male representatives dominate the various committees formed in rural municipalities. Women are told, 'you were elected because of us, so do not speak too much,’” she said. She added that even when women representatives seek information on plans and budgets, they are compelled to rely on the deputy mayor. “This limits our freedom in decision-making and reduces women representatives to mere legitimisers of decisions,” she said.

Yanjumaya Tamang, a member of the executive committee of Chandannath Municipality in Jumla, said the municipality allocates Rs. 500,000 to each executive committee member, based on which programmes are prepared. However, she said that decisions are finalised only after discussions within political parties and approval by the majority, after which women representatives are asked merely to sign. “Even when executive committee meetings are held, the agendas are sometimes sent to us by text message during the meeting itself,” she said.

Most women representatives speaking at the Karnali Women’s Conference, organised by the women’s organisation in Surkhet and focused on the issues of marginalised women on Monday, said they were being used by male representatives to legitimise decisions. Women representatives, social activists and members of various organisations from ten districts of Karnali Province pointed out that inequality, patriarchal attitudes and power imbalances within local decision-making structures have silenced women’s voices.

They said they are often forced to applaud and pass proposals they do not understand. 

Bhim Kumari Pun, an executive member of Bheri Municipality in Jajarkot, said the plans proposed by women are never approved. “After the decision-making process is completed, we are only called to sign,” she said. Such practices, she added, have reduced women representatives to “official witnesses” in the decision-making process.

Mudhurani Dhakal, executive director of the Women’s Organisation for Marginalised Women (BAM), said the conference was organised not only to exchange experiences among women representatives and social activists from all 10 districts of Karnali Province, but also to develop a common agenda.