With the federal and provincial elections looming large over Nepal, the voice for equal representation of women has again taken centre stage. Article 84(8) of the Constitution of Nepal requires one-third of the total members from each political party represented in the federal Parliament to be women. But this, in its essence, is not reflective of the workings of an actual democratic state. The growing call for equality is to ensure that women’s representation through the first-past-the-post is increased, but there is hesitancy among political parties to field women candidates under the direct electoral system, and they prefer women’s representation to be done through the proportional representation system to fulfil a constitutional requirement.

The recently concluded local elections were indicative of how political parties, under alliance politics, could successfully subvert the spirit of the constitution. The Local Level Election Act 2017 mandates political parties to field women candidates for the position of either the chief or the deputy chief at the local level. But the provision only applies when a party fields candidates for both positions. Alliance politics means the provision can be completely sidestepped to allow for complete manipulation as the alliance can choose to field whoever they prefer, disregarding the provision of inclusive representation of women. And this is precisely why the patriarchal mindset needs a complete overhaul.

The hesitancy stems primarily from the patriarchal mindset inherent within Nepali parties. Fielding a woman candidate is still considered risky by the male-dominated political parties in Nepal. But if we are to move forward towards a more progressive and egalitarian society, it is time we shed the obsolete idea of believing that the presence of equal representation of women through the direct electoral system will lead to an explosive political outcome. If we consider one-third representation progressive, it still isn’t reflective of equality.

In a country where the population of women outstrips that of men, equality in the real sense would mean at least 50 percent representation. The question of having more room for women matters not because it will effectively solve every given issue or address concerns about misogyny, but having more women will certainly make things more equal. Equality of representation is essential and reflective of a well and functioning democracy. If nothing, we must be true to reflect the statistical projections of the demographic structure.

Confronting the inherent vulnerabilities of a patriarchal mindset will require more than mere legislation. The dismantling of patriarchy will require a collective effort at the societal level to understand and unlearn the ills that have been heaped on people over millennia. Several issues, such as violence against women, agenda concerning women’s health and issues relating to women’s work and finances necessitate the increased presence of women in Parliament which will ultimately lead to enhanced decision making. The increased number of women in politics will also galvanise women in society to contact their representatives and participate as citizens. Therefore, there is nothing to be lost with the increased participation of women. It is a growing necessity to address the underlying challenges for a more progressive society.