Dwarika Devi Thakurani ( ne, द्वारिकादेवी ठकुरानी) (1915–2002) was a Nepali politician, the first Nepali woman to be elected to parliament and the first woman to become a cabinet minister.

Biography

Thakurani was born to father Bam Dev Panta and mother Radha Devi Panta on 28 November 1915 (12 Kartik 1972 BS) in Silgadhi town of

Doti district Doti District ( ne, डोटी जिल्ला ), part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the 77 districts of Nepal. This district, with Silgadhi as its headquarters, covers an area of with a population of 207,066 in 2001 and increasi ...

in far–western region of

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

. She died on 10 December 2002 (14 Mangsir 2059 BS).

Career

Thakurani was elected to parliament in the first democratic election of Nepal, held in February 1959. She was a candidate from Constituency No. 66,

Dadeldhura District Dadeldhura, a part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Dadeldhura as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population of 126,162 in 2001 and 142,094 in 2011. The regio ...

for

Nepali Congress The Nepali Congress ( ne, नेपाली कांग्रेस ; abbr. NC) is the largest social democratic political party in Nepal. As per the results of recent local election, ''Nepali Congress'' stands as the single largest party o ...

. She was the only woman elected to the House of Representatives (out of 15 that ran), and jointly the first woman in the Nepalese parliament, alongside Kamal Rana, who had been appointed to the Senate. Following the election, she was also appointed deputy minister of Health and Local Self-governance on 27 May 1959 in the

BP Koirala Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala ( ne, विश्वेश्वरप्रसाद कोइराला; 8 September 1914 – 21 July 1982), (Nepali: 1971 B.S. Bhadra 24 - 2039 B.S Shrawan 6)better known as B. P. Koirala ( ne, बीपी ...

cabinet, also becoming the first female minister in Nepal.

References

1915 births 2002 deaths People from Doti District 20th-century Nepalese women 20th-century Nepalese politicians Nepali Congress politicians from Sudurpashchim Province Nepal MPs 1959–1960 {{Sudurpashchim-politician-stub