First Woman Elected President of Nepal (and the US is SEVENTY-SIXTH in women's represenation)
(and the US STILL has not ratified CEDAW)
First Woman Elected President of Nepal
Last week, Nepals parliament elected Bidhya Devi Bhandari the countrys first woman president.
Elected by a 327 to 214 majority vote, Bhandari succeeds Ram Baran Yadav, the countrys first elected president following the dissolution of the Nepalese monarchy in 2008. Bhandaris appointment comes on the heels of the adoption of Nepals new constitution, which was written with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in mind. The new constitution requires that women comprise one-third of the nations lawmakers, as well as contribute in all government committees. It also calls for either the President or Vice President to be a woman.
A longtime political activist and womens rights advocate, Bhandari entered parliament in 1993. In 2009, Bhandari accepted the position of the countrys first defense minister, serving until 2011. Bhandaris presidential election undoubtedly marks a milestone in Nepal.
Bhandari, who actively pushed to secure womens rights under Nepals new constitution for the last seven years, has vowed to continue fighting for minority and womens rights in the country.
http://feminist.org/blog/index.php/2015/11/04/first-woman-elected-president-of-nepal/