Open dialogue on women in politics to take place at Narayanchaur, Naxal this Saturday

KATHMANDU: An open public dialogue titled 'Excluded by Design: Women, Politics, and Ethical Failure' is set to be held in Kathmandu on Saturday, January 31. The event will take place in Narayanchaur, Naxal, and will examine structural barriers that limit women’s participation in Nepali politics.

The event is being jointly organised by the World of Women Magazine (WOW), Project Abhaya, and She Leads Icon. Organisers said the programme will probe why, despite constitutional commitments to inclusion, women continue to be marginalised from policy-making and decision-making in practice.

Highlighting the gap between law and reality, the organisers have pointed to the most recent nomination for the House of Representatives (HoR) election, where only 395 women candidates out of 3,484 were nominated. They described the disparity as evidence of democratic failure rooted in a lack of political will and structural exclusion rather than a deficit of capacity among women.

The dialogue will bring together women leaders, political party representatives, Gen-Z voices and other stakeholders to raise questions about candidate selection, resource distribution and institutional practices that organisers said systematically exclude women from power. The programme aims to move the conversation from rhetoric to concrete proposals for increasing women’s representation and influence.

Organisers emphasised the role of journalism in keeping issues of democracy, inclusivity and accountability at the centre of public debate and have invited media to cover the event. The programme is scheduled from 7:00 am to 11:00 am.