Women candidates account for only 17% in Sunsari

By Jaykrishan Yadav,Inaruwa, Feb. 4: The number of women candidates contesting the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections under the first-past-the-post electoral system in Sunsari district remains low, with women making up only 17.6 per cent of the total.

Out of 108 candidates registered across the district’s four constituencies during the nomination process, only 19 are women.

Major political parties have fielded only a handful of women candidates. 

Among major political parties, the Nepali Congress (NC) has not fielded any women candidates in Sunsari. 

The CPN-UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal (JSP-N) and the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) have each nominated one woman candidate.

Among the major parties, the UML has nominated Bhagwati Chaudhary in Constituency-3, the NCP has fielded Ram Kumari Chaudhary in Constituency-2, the RSP has nominated Goma Tamang in Constituency-1, and the JSP-N has selected Sabita Yadav as its candidate in Constituency-4.

In Constituency-1, a total of 26 candidates have registered their nominations, of whom only two are women. 

According to Election Officer Divya Raj Ghimire, the women candidates are Goma Tamang of the RSP and Jibankala Rai, an independent candidate.

 The constituency also includes former Dharan mayor and Chairman of the Shram Sanskriti Party, Harkaraj Rai ‘Harka Sampang’ among the 26 nominees.

Similarly, in Sunsari Constituency-2, 28 candidates have filed nominations but only seven are women, accounting for 25 per cent of the total. 

The women candidates include Ram Kumari Chaudhary (NCP), Krishna Kumari Danuwar from CPN (Maoist), Gita Maiya Bijko (Nepal Workers and Peasants Party), Tajina Bista (Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party), Tulasa Limbu (Sanghiya Loktantrik Rastriya Manch) and independent candidates Anjana Devi Gupta and Rosni Rai. 

Senior NC leader and former Koshi Province Assembly member Rajiv Koirala is also contesting from this constituency.

In Constituency-3, 20 candidates have registered their nominations, including five women, again representing 25 per cent of the total. 

According to Election Officer Padam Bahadur Karki, the women candidates are Bhagwati Chaudhary (CPN-UML), Prakriti Basi (Nepal Workers and Peasants Party) and independent candidates Kumari Uraon, Suman Kumari Chaudhary and Kasani Tharuni. 

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Bijay Kumar Gachchhadar is also contesting from this constituency. In Constituency- 4, 34 candidates have filed nominations, and only five are women. 

The women candidates include Sabita Yadav (Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal), Chanchala Nhinuwo (Nepal Workers and Peasant Party) and independent candidates Parbati Mukhiya, Phulkumari Khan and Yamuna KC. 

Former Finance Minister and Nepali Congress leader Gyanendra Bahadur Karki is among the contestants in this constituency.

Despite commitments to inclusive representation, women’s participation in the direct election to the HoR in Sunsari remains significantly lower than that of men.