Kathmandu: CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli has acknowledged the right of the third gender to live with dignity while calling for awareness and education for achieving this.

Addressing the 6th National Women’s Rights Day here, the ULM boss expressed commitment to fostering the movement for social justice and equality stressing the need for protecting women’s movement.

Pointing to the trend of gender reassignment, and the demand for citizenship based on self-determination, the former Prime Minister said, “Our women sisters must take the lead to save the women’s movement from this wrong attitude.”

“All sort of discrimination, be it cased, religion and gender-based one, should be eliminated,” he said, “everyone has the right to live with dignity, to live comfortably.”

In a landmark move, the Government of Nepal recognised the sexual and gender minorities (SGM), issuing them citizenship under “other” category following the verdict of the Supreme Court on December 21, 2007. According to the court order, on December 31, 2012, a circular was issued to grant citizenship to SGMs under “other” category.

Only 16 years later, same-sex marriage was recognised on November 29, 2023, making Maya Guru and Surendra Pandey the first couple in South Asia to legally register same-sex marriage.

Following this, Anju Devi Shrestha (Dipti) and Suprita Gurung registered same-sex marriage legally, becoming the first lesbian couple in South Asia. Both of them were born female and have identified as women.

Sunil Babu Pant, Asia’s first openly gay former parliamentarian of Nepal, has been credited for championing SGM rights.

For prosperity, awareness and economic growth should go hand-in-hand, he said. “My emphasis is that you should spread the right awareness and make all friends aware and prosper,” he said.

Similarly, in another event organised on the occasion, Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Bhagwati Chaudhary emphasised the development of women and children to build an equitable society.

However, it seems the government has not prioritised women and children by allocating a small portion of budget. “The budget has just arrived. However, the Ministry of Women, which is responsible for looking after women, children, senior citizens, disabled people and sexual minorities, has a very low budget,” she said.

She also terms low-budget allocation for the ministry something stemmed from a patriarchal mindset.