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Published : 12 Jan 2026, 06:48 PM
Women candidates account for a mere 4.24 percent of total contestants in the national elections, prompting criticism from a coalition of 71 women’s, human rights and development organisations.
The Social Resistance Committee said the “alarmingly low” numbers reveal a “patriarchal political culture” and called on political parties and the Election Commission to take steps to improve female representation.
In a statement on Monday, the platform said only 109 of the 2,568 candidates in the race are women, calling it a “gross imbalance” in terms of gender representation.
The platform expressed surprise that most political parties did not nominate a single woman candidate.
“Even the political party that publicly claims 40 percent of its leadership is made up of women did not nominate any female candidate,” the statement said.
Of the 109 women candidates, 72 were nominated by political parties, while the remaining 37 are contesting as independents.
Citing these figures, the committee said women’s participation in power structures “remains a major challenge”.
“In a hostile environment, women have to fight at every step to secure space in politics. Despite many obstacles, women’s participation in the economy and national development has gained acceptance in families, society and the state. However, political parties have not attached the same importance to women’s participation in political activities,” it said.
Referring to the persistence of a “misogynistic culture” in society, the statement noted that many women feel apprehensive about contesting in elections as independent candidates.
“This reflects a patriarchal political culture and, at the same time, serves as a strategy to sustain male-dominated politics,” the platform said.
Calling for visible female participation in electoral politics, the Social Resistance Committee urged all political parties and the Election Commission to take action.
“To build a democratic and equitable social structure, ensuring women’s equal partnership in political decision-making and state governance is the most crucial issue,” it said.
The parliamentary election is scheduled to be held on Feb 12.
After scrutiny of nomination papers, 1,842 candidates were initially declared valid.
Following the first two days of appeal hearings held on Saturday and Sunday, the Election Commission reinstated the candidacy of 109 aspirants, while one lost validity.
As a result, the total number of valid candidates now stands at 1,950.
A total of 645 appeals have been filed, with hearings scheduled to conclude by Jan 17.
According to the election schedule, Jan 20 is the deadline for withdrawal of candidacies.
The final list of candidates and allocation of electoral symbols will be announced the following day.
