Although women make up more than half of the population, their representation in the political machinery is low. Although women leaders represent around 33 percent of the party's central committees, they are not present in the office bearers involved in important decision-making.
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The Gen-G movement has presented an agenda for political and social reform, and a strong condition for its fulfillment is the transfer of leadership and generational change in the main political parties. The demands of Gen-G and the agenda of good governance cannot be addressed by keeping the leaders who have occupied power and the party for years.
Therefore, the exit of the current leadership in the main party and the arrival of a new leadership is inevitable. There has been a voice within the parties for that. But it is very weak. Therefore, a large and collective effort is essential for intervention. The efforts made by the young generation have not been seen as sufficient. Therefore, pressure and intervention by women leaders are also necessary. They can increase pressure collectively by forming a network of women leaders within their respective parties and from other parties. Time has given this responsibility and challenge.
There is no doubt that the power-centered and corrupt politics of the major parties are responsible for the country not being able to make as much economic and social progress as it could have. Therefore, the Gen-G movement has raised questions about the leadership of the traditional party. The selection and operation method of the party mechanism is also responsible for this situation. The leadership has been suppressing different voices within the parties. Such a trend has also challenged the democratic and constitutional essence. Therefore, intervention in the traditional structure and style of the party is necessary from every stakeholder in society.
Even though women constitute more than half of the population, their representation in the political machinery is low. Although women leaders represent about 33 percent of the party's central committees, they are not present in the office bearers involved in important decisions. In the Congress, the largest party in the dissolved House of Representatives, one out of 14 office bearers from the president to the treasurer is a woman. In the UML, which has 19 office bearers, there are only two women. Before the dissolution of the Maoist Central Committee, there were 24 office bearers from the president to the treasurer, only one was a woman.
Let's look back at the distribution of tickets in the parliamentary elections. In 2079, the Congress gave tickets to 86 male candidates, but only 5 women. The UML gave tickets to 130 men, but only 11 women, and the Maoists gave tickets to 38 men, but only 8 women.
The provision that there should be one woman candidate among the local level president/chief and vice-president/deputy chief has been weakened by using the technical loophole in the alliance. There is a continuous trend of fielding female candidates in elections for state posts when they are certain to lose. Such references show that women leaders are being suppressed within the parties. The reason for this is that women leaders have not been able to take collective initiatives to break the grip of male leaders.
An unprecedented pressure is currently being expressed in the main parties for a change in leadership. It is true that they may have realized their unacceptability after 23 Bhadra and were expected to resign. But resignation is a topic beyond the issue, they are weaving a web for continuity in leadership. Even though Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has indicated a break by appointing an acting president, UML President KP Sharma Oli and Maoist Coordinator Pushpa Kamal Dahal are striving for their continuity.
The president of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which was established as the fourth largest force in the 2079 elections, has not been able to raise a strong voice for a change in leadership even though he is in jail on a court order on charges of cooperative fraud. There is pressure on Madhav Kumar Nepal, the president of the Unified Socialist Party, to step down from the leadership after a corruption case was filed against him. But he is not ready for that either. Therefore, it is necessary for women leaders to strengthen their initiatives for reforming politics and the state system, both within and outside the party. They can increase organizational, theoretical, and moral pressure within the party. They can make leadership change a major topic of debate by collaborating with women leaders from other parties.
Who will come after the current leadership leaves is a different matter. At least, we can trust that it will listen to the footsteps of time. At least, we can trust that democracy within the party will be broadened, that there will be liberality towards debate and discussion, that more and more members will participate in the party's decision-making process, and that party committees will be inclusive. Every party has members who are self-respecting and committed to democracy. There are also members who are concerned about the party's image and the future of the country. However, their presence will be meaningful only through initiatives and interventions for leadership change.
