SARLAHI, Nov 3:  Among the total of 215 candidates for parliamentary and provincial elections from the district, only 13 are women. The elections in Sarlahi are scheduled for December 7.

Six women are contesting for the federal parliament while seven are candidates for the provincial polls. And CPN-UML is the only major party which has fielded a woman candidate. UML's Bechi Lungeli is contesting from Sarlahi 1b.

For provincial elections, Anita Kumari Paswan from Dalit Muslim Janashakti Party is contesting from Sarlahi 1a, while Mira Devi Jha from Nepali Janata Dal, Sukamari Devi from Ekikrit Rastriya Prajantra Party (Rashtrabadi) and Renu Sharma from Rastriya Janamukti Party have been named as candidates contesting from Sarlahi 2a.

Likewise, Pawan Devi Yadav from Deshbhakta Janaganatantrik Morcha Nepal is constesting from Sarlahi 2a and Radhika Devi from Ekikrit Rastriya Prajantra Party (Rashtrabadi) is contesting from Sarlahi 2b. Likewise, Lalita Kumari Devi from Ekikrit Rastriya Prajantra Party (Rashtrabadi) has fielded candidacy from Sarlahi 3b. But there are no women candidates in Sarlahi-4 and its provincial assembly seats.

Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Janata Party Nepal have fielded no women candidates for parliament and provincial seats in the district.

Subhadra Devi, a woman activist in the district, said not matter how loudly the parties raise pro-women slogans in their campaigns, their attitude toward women has not changed.

 
• sarlahi
 
• among 215 candidates
 
• 13 women