Kathmandu
Elections for the House of Representatives will be held in 165 constituencies. One member is directly elected from each constituency, while the remaining 110 members are chosen through the proportional representation system.
A total of 3,406 candidates, including those from political parties and independent contenders, are competing in the direct elections. Among them, 3,017 are men, 388 are women, and one candidate represents another gender group. Women candidates account for 11.39 per cent of the total.
Out of the 165 constituencies, 31 have no women candidates at all.
According to candidate data, nine constituencies in Koshi Province have no women candidates: Taplejung, Panchthar, Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Morang-2, Morang-3, Khotang, Udayapur-1, and Udayapur-2. Taplejung has 13 candidates, Panchthar 15, and Bhojpur 12, all male party nominees. Dhankuta also has only male candidates among its 17 contenders. In Morang-2 and Morang-3, all candidates are male. Khotang’s 15 candidates are also men. Udayapur’s two constituencies similarly have only male candidates.
Overall, in Koshi Province, there are 436 male and only 58 female candidates.
In Madhesh Province, Rautahat-2 is the only constituency without women candidates, where all 26 candidates are men. The province has 918 male and 109 female candidates overall.
In Bagmati Province, Kavre-1, Sindhuli-1, and Nuwakot-2 have no women candidates. All candidates in these constituencies are men, largely reflecting political parties’ lack of prioritisation of women nominees. Bagmati Province has 623 male and 108 female candidates.
In Gandaki Province, Syangja-1, Syangja-2, and Myagdi have only male candidates. Overall, Gandaki has 203 male and 31 female candidates.
In Lumbini Province, Kapilvastu-3, Rolpa, Dang-1, and Banke-2 have no women candidates. The province has 529 male and 53 female candidates out of 582 total contenders.
In Karnali Province, four constituencies — Mugu, Kalikot, Jajarkot, and Surkhet-1 — have only male candidates. The province has 120 male and 11 female candidates, for a total of 131.
In Sudurpashchim Province, seven constituencies, Bajura, Achham-1, Achham-2, Bajhang, Darchula, Baitadi, and Dadeldhura, have no women candidates. The province has 188 male and 18 female candidates, for a total of 206.
Data indicate that women candidates have not been prioritised by political parties. Of the 3,406 candidates contesting the 165 seats, 3,017 are men and 388 are women. Among the women candidates, 157 are independents and 231 are party nominees, suggesting limited party backing for female participation.
Among major parties, Nepali Congress has fielded 11 women candidates; CPN-UML 10; Nepal Communist Party 12; Rastriya Swatantra Party 16; and Rastriya Prajatantra Party 8 women candidates. Other parties have fielded smaller numbers, while the Nepal Majdoor Kisan Party has fielded 54 women, and the Mongol National Organisation has fielded 15 women candidates.
