Factionalism understates women leadership capacity, Khanal says

Kathmandu, March 3 : The Motidevi Memorial Foundation has honoured eight women having contribution to different sectors of society. The feted are politician Uttara Koirala, artist Nisha Sharma, journalist Sangita Lama, social worker Suwarna Keshari, athlete Nira Kayastha, Sangita Pant with physical disability, dalit rights activist Ramrati Ram and mountaineer Chunu Shrestha.
CPN (UML) senior leader Jhalanath Khanal honoured them amidst a programme Saturday. On the occasion, leader Khanal expressed his concern over the party’s failure to establish women who had lifelong struggled for the issues of women in the party leadership due to a culture of groupism within the party. “Though the constitution has guaranteed the rights of all, in practical women are still lagging behind in terms of exercising their rights.”
Lawmaker Keshab Khanal and former lawmaker Garima Shah said sidelining dedicated and competent woman figure from reaching the leadership just because of that she was not in any faction of the party was not just and it would obviously discourage a new generation from seeking career in politics.
CPN (UML) vice chair and Academy chair Astalaxmi Shakya recalled Motidevi as the dedicated Communist leader who had walked up to Kolkata from Kathmandu during the formation of the Communist Party of Nepal. She was a founding member of the party. She, born in Lalitpur, had passed away twenty years ago at the age of 86.