Kathmandu, Apr 13: The Cabinet led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah has set a new benchmark in women’s participation, with six women ministers in the 16-member cabinet, raising representation to 37.5 percent.

This exceeds the constitutional requirement of at least 33 percent and marks a significant shift in Nepal’s political landscape. Experts say the current level of representation is higher than the global average and reflects a move toward more inclusive governance.

In the present government, women have been entrusted with key and technical ministries such as law, health, agriculture, administration and industry, rather than being limited to traditional social sectors. Analysts have described this as a step toward empowering women not only in numbers but also in decision-making roles.

According to past data, women’s participation in Nepal’s cabinets has historically remained low and inconsistent, generally ranging between 10 and 18 percent, with earlier peaks around 24 to 26 percent. In comparison, the current figure represents a notable improvement.

Experts note that Nepal now stands above the global average of around 22 to 23 percent female cabinet representation, as reported by UN Women. In South Asia, women’s participation remains relatively low, while some countries in Europe and regions like Latin America have higher representation.

Analysts and rights advocates say the current achievement sends a positive message globally and indicates progress toward inclusive governance. However, they stress that the focus should now shift toward ensuring meaningful participation and decision-making power for women, rather than representation alone.

They also emphasize the need to sustain this progress and extend similar levels of inclusion across other state structures while working toward eliminating structural discrimination and strengthening leadership development among women.