The appointment of Sushila Karki as the prime minister of the interim government following the unprecedented Gen Z revolt was both historic and inspiring. It was the first time in the nation’s history that a woman assumed the post of head of government. Though the country was undergoing a political crisis at the time, many celebrated Karki’s appointment as the prime minister. The happiness and excitement were obvious, given men's pervasive grip on leadership positions. If we have to celebrate a woman’s mere appointment as a success, we can’t shy away from accepting that ours is a failed society. However, Karki has lived up to expectations, at least until now. Formed with the sole mandate of conducting free and fair elections, it was not easy for the Karki government to take the political parties into confidence and assure a safe environment amid the unrest.

Even before going into the elections, we can sense a plethora of changes in political parties. Some changed their leaders, others coalesced. But in Nepal’s political landscape, women’s participation in politics has remained as dismal as ever. Women leaders are often made to enter parliament through Proportional Representation. Of around 3,500 candidates for the direct seats, only 396 women are contesting the elections for FPTP. The figure stands relatively low compared to the 33 percent recommendation by the Election Commission. It’s a shame that the parties promising change never look into this matter seriously. As a society, we have failed to recognise that women, too, could take up leadership positions and show us the way. This stems from the outdated notion that women are only capable of performing domestic chores.

Politics is a domain often associated with power, money, masculinity and negotiations. In that sense, political parties strip them of tickets for FPTP, fearing that they would not be able to amass as many votes as male candidates. This has to change. In the vote-amassing race dominated by men, women and their ability to gracefully wheel through the chaos are overlooked. Also, regarding women voters, they can make the ‘change’ by voting for candidates based on their own understanding rather than following the suggestions of male members in the family. This time around the elections, let the tea shops be crowded with women talking about policies and manifestos. Sushila Karki’s success in conducting elections will set a precedent for women. Hopefully, the day will arrive when we have the first elected woman prime minister on board.