Five women ministers sworn into federal cabinet

Kathmandu, March 27: Five women lawmakers from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) have been appointed to various ministerial positions, taking their oath of office and secrecy before the President in a special ceremony held at the Office of the President-Shital Niwas-today.     

Pratibha Rawal has been appointed as the Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration. In addition to her primary role, Rawal has also been entrusted with the responsibilities of the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.     

Likewise, Sita Badi was sworn in as the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, becoming the first from the Badi community to hold such a position.     

Similarly, Sobita Gautam took the oath of office and secretary as the Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.     

During the same ceremony, President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Nisha Mehata as Minister for Health and Population and Water Supply and Geeta Chaudhary as Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development.     

Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rawal was elected as a Member of Parliament under the proportional representation from the women's cluster of the RSP.     

Prior to foraying into politics, she worked as a programme producer at Galaxy Television and has been involved in politics since the establishment of the RSP.     

Born in Aithpur of Bhimdutta Municipality-6 in Kanchanpur district, she has completed her education up to the bachelor’s level. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she also served in Lamichhane’s private secretariat.     

Similarly, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Gautam has completed her bachelor's degree in law and is currently pursuing an LLM at the Kathmandu School of Law.     

Born on June 17, 1995 in Dolakha district, Gautam is now a permanent resident of the Bharatpur Metropolitan City, Chitwan. She was elected as the Member of Parliament from Chitwan constituency no 3 in the March 5 election to House of Representatives.     

Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Badi is an ardent advocate for women's empowerment. She has dedicated her career to social initiatives enhancing the socio-economic status of marginalized women.     

In a recent conversation with the RSS, she highlighted the acute vulnerabilities faced women of the Badi community.     

She has been running programs to make women economically self-reliant through sewing and tailoring trainings. Originally from Birendranagar Municipality-14 in Surkhet district, she currently resides in Budhanilakantha-8, Kathmandu.     

Badi began her political journey with the Rastriya Swatantra Party. “Women’s conditions are fragile and for Dalit and Badi communities, it is even more distressing. I will work on result-oriented initiatives to improve this situation," she pledged.     

Likewise, Minister for Health, Population and Water Supply Mehata is a nursing professional. Mehta has been associated with the RSP since its establishment like Rawal and Badi.     

She was elected a lawmaker under the proportional representation from the Madheshi women's cluster.     

The 38-year-old Minister hails from Inaruwa, Sunsari in Sunsari. She has completed her postgraduate studies in nursing from India. She has served as an associate professor at Birat Teaching Hospital in Biratnagar.     

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Chaudhary, a legal practitioner, was elected under the proportional representation system from Kanchanpur constituency no 2.     

The 33-year-old Minister from Shuklaphanta municipality ward no 4 in Kanchanpur district is the first Tharu women from her locality to be appointed to the federal cabinet.     

She holds a bachelor's degree in law and has completed a Masters degree in law from the Nepal Law Campus. In the previous general election in 2022, she was candidate for the Sudurpaschim Province Assembly representing the Nagarik Unmukti Party.(RSS)