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Bhumika Shrestha made history on Monday by becoming Nepal’s first transgender woman to serve in parliament.
The 37-year-old LGBTQ rights advocate was confirmed as a proportional-representation MP for the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).
Her election follows the RSP’s dominant performance in the March 5 national elections, where the party, led by rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, secured 182 seats in the 275-member House of Representatives.
Shrestha’s entry into the legislature marks a significant shift for a community that represents a substantial portion of the population.
According to the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), a leading advocacy group, over 900,000 people in Nepal identify as sexual minorities.
While Nepal’s constitution has included progressive protections since 2007—including the recognition of a third-gender category for citizenship and passports—Shrestha noted that these provisions have often failed to manifest as concrete laws and policies.
The election is being hailed as a “historic” breakthrough by activists who believe that direct representation is the only way to ensure the community’s unique challenges are addressed.
Although an openly gay man served in parliament in 2008, the LGBTQ community has lacked a voice in public office for nearly two decades.
Shrestha now steps into her role to translate constitutional promises into legislative action for the nearly one million sexual minorities she represents.
