South Asia | Nepal | Politics

Nepal Parliament Elects Bidhya Devi Bhandari As First Female President

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Nepal’s parliament elected a 54-year-old women's rights activist as its first female president Wednesday, just weeks after the country established a new constitution in September. Bidhya Devi Bhandari was the country’s defense minister from 2009 to 2011 and is currently the vice-chair of the ruling Communist Party of Nepal Unified Marxist-Leninist (CPN-UML), reports said. Bhandari said, according to local newspaper Kathmandu Post, that she would help effectively implement the new constitution. “I have been elected as the first female President as per the inclusive and proportional pri
South Asia | Nepal | Activism

The former child soldier turned star athlete blazing a trail for women in Nepal

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Mira Rai is a low-profile type of national hero. When she walked through Nepal’s crowded international airport last week, no one made much of a fuss. On the streets of Kathmandu, the south Asian nation’s capital, more people notice the brightly coloured, brand new sports clothes than the slight 25-year-old who wears them. The anonymity may not last long. Eighteen months ago, Rai was just another young Nepalese from a desperately village who grew up never sure of two, let alone three meals in a day. Now the former Maoist child soldier is winning international races in one of the world’
South Asia | Nepal | Activism

Here’s how two girls from Nepal brought attention to the inequality facing women around the world

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Students Jharana and Sirjana were tired of gender inequality, so they made a plan. In their home country of Nepal, women are far less likely than men to be educated. While today's generation of girls is receiving at least a basic education (91% of girls attend primary school), they're still viewed as being "less than" men when it comes to looking for a career. To raise awareness of the inequality facing Nepalese women in education and career opportunities, they began recruiting classmates to participate in a 5k run for women's equality. 350 runners took part in the 5k, making it a run