Election Commissioner Dr. Janaki Tuladhar Commits to Inclusive Approach in Election Process
Election Commissioner Dr. Janaki Tuladhar has expressed a commitment to strengthen the upcoming voting process through a gender-sensitive, disability-inclusive, and inclusive perspective. Kathmandu, 26 Jestha. Commissioner Tuladhar emphasized that once the election bill, currently under discussion in the House of Representatives, is legally enacted, many existing weaknesses will be addressed.
On Monday, the Forum for Women, Law, and Development (FWLD) organized the unveiling of the election observation report of the House of Representatives 2082 elections, focusing on gender, disability, and inclusivity perspectives. During the event, Dr. Tuladhar articulated her commitment to enhancing these approaches in future elections. She highlighted plans to increase the use of technology over time, institutionalize training for election staff and volunteers on gender, disability, and inclusiveness, and strengthen the collection, analysis, and publication of election data classified by gender, disability, and inclusivity indices.
Dr. Tuladhar also clarified the intent to expand specialized voter education programs targeting women, youth, persons with disabilities, citizens from remote areas, and other marginalized communities. The election observation report, prepared under the leadership of FWLD and involving 15 non-governmental organizations, was presented by advocate Sagar Pathak. He noted that the Election Commission did not fully comply with the established guidelines and stressed the need for more in-depth analysis of polling centers.
While the elections were peaceful and fair, Pathak pointed out that further improvements are necessary regarding gender, disability, and inclusive-friendly processes. The report was prepared by monitoring polling locations, voting times, and counting phases through the Z-C (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) methodology. The direct observation covered 156 polling centers across 46 electoral constituencies in 55 local units within 23 districts of seven provinces.
The event was chaired by Meera Dhungana, with Dr. Tuladhar as the chief guest, and FWLD Executive Director Advocates Savin Shrestha and Arpana Shrestha jointly unveiling the report. Director Shrestha expressed confidence that the Election Commission would improve the lack of sufficient information at polling centers in the future. Despite separate lines for women and men in most polling centers, other groups were neglected, and there were deficiencies including the absence of first aid, drinking water, nursing rooms, rest areas, and the polling sites were not fully disability-friendly. Executive Director Shrestha also highlighted inadequate attention to elderly and disabled voters on return routes. It was pledged that the Election Commission would address these issues going forward. The event, moderated by advocate Rozina Shrestha, also featured representatives from various NGOs involved in election observation sharing challenges they encountered and suggesting solutions.
