In alignment with Nepal’s constitutional guarantees of gender equality and its commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), NASC undertook a comprehensive study on the status, opportunities, and challenges faced by women in managerial positions across public and private institutions. This assignment was commissioned by the National Women Commission, recognizing the constitutional mandate to ensure proportional and inclusive participation of women in all state organs, and the global commitment under SDG Goal 5 to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Despite notable progress in women’s participation in civil service, judiciary, security agencies, education,
and financial institutions, women remain significantly underrepresented in managerial and decisionmaking
positions. While positive trends have been observed in recent decades, marginalized groups of women continue to face limited access to leadership roles.
Against this backdrop, the study aimed to generate evidence on the representation of women in managerial positions, identify enabling opportunities as well as systemic barriers, and provide actionable recommendations to enhance their participation in leadership and decision-making. The research employed both quantitative and qualitative approaches, including desk reviews of constitutional and legal frameworks, policy and program analysis, surveys with 90 women managers across diverse sectors, and interviews with selected respondents. Statistical analysis was complemented with qualitative insights to capture the lived experiences of women in leadership roles.
The major objectives of this study were to:
1. Analyze the participation of women in managerial positions in policy-making and decision-making
processes within their respective institutions.
2. Identify the opportunities available to women in managerial positions.
3. Identify the barriers and challenges faced by women in managerial positions.