Photo
Pabitra Devi Mahatara Prasain, Jhapa district, Nepal
Mayor of Birtamod municipality in Jhapa (the only female mayor in the eight municipalities of Jhapa)
“Initially, society doubted women’s ability to handle the demanding schedule of being in politics, which requires them to be ready to go anywhere at any time. However, there is no other option than to ignore all of these things and move forward. When I attend events, I notice that people have differing perspectives on male and female mayors. I face a challenge in proving myself among people who treat a male mayor with respect but find it difficult to show even basic formalities to a female mayor. Here, it is important to explain that we were elected mayors based on position rather than gender.”
Mayor of Birtamod municipality in Jhapa (the only female mayor in the eight municipalities of Jhapa)
“Initially, society doubted women’s ability to handle the demanding schedule of being in politics, which requires them to be ready to go anywhere at any time. However, there is no other option than to ignore all of these things and move forward. When I attend events, I notice that people have differing perspectives on male and female mayors. I face a challenge in proving myself among people who treat a male mayor with respect but find it difficult to show even basic formalities to a female mayor. Here, it is important to explain that we were elected mayors based on position rather than gender.”
