Kathmandu, Jan. 21 -- The political parties contesting the March 5 parliamentary elections have failed to field one-third of women candidates under the first-past-the-post (FPTP), ignoring the Election Commission's directive and calls from rights activists.

Nominations lists show alarmingly low representation of women, raising questions about political parties' commitment to gender equality. In December, the constitutional poll management body had instructed political parties to ensure at least 33 percent of their candidates are female under the FPTP system. Even as the call is not legally binding, the directive was issued in line with the spirit of the Constitution of Nepal which envisions proportional representation of all sections of ...