The Supreme Master Ching Hai
On October 28, Golden Year 12 (2015), The Right Honourable Bidhya Devi Bhandari was elected as Nepal’s first female president.
During her teenage years, The Right Honourable Bidhya Devi Bhandari had already begun her involvement in politics as an activist. Now, with over two decades of experience and service to Nepal with varying roles in Parliament such as Minister for Environment and Population and Defense Minister, she was elected as the President of Nepal at the age of 54.
President Bhandari is best known for her strong support for democracy and female equality. Nepal, previously a monarchy, became a federal democratic republic in 2008, after the Constituent Assembly was tasked with creating a new constitution with the goal of building a more peaceful and harmonious nation. She is now the second president to serve Nepal since the country became a federal democratic republic. Also, along with the new constitution, one can see The Right Honourable Bidhya Devi Bhandari making bold steps for female equality, as she implemented a policy whereby women now must represent at least one-third of Parliament. She stated:
“Now efforts should be made for increasing the number of women to 50 percent in parliament and all other government bodies. We must ensure that women have increased access to economic activities, jobs and education.”
To congratulate the President of Nepal on her many achievements, and to send well wishes for her endeavors in making Nepal a more peaceful and harmonious nation, Supreme Master Ching Hai sent the above letter to The Right Honourable Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
PHOTO CREDIT: Ganesh Paudel-Vidhya Bhandari in a program on women’s participation in politics-13Dec2013-Wikimedia Commons-(edit)-CC BY-SA 3.0
