16 October

The Right Honourable Mrs. Bidya Devi Bhandari, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal was born on 19 June 1961 at Manebhanjyang-2, Bhojpur District of Nepal. She finished her school level education in Bhojpur District and pursued her higher education in Biratnagar, Morang District.

She has significantly contributed in ensuring the women rights and rights of the backward and disadvantaged people during her political career. She has played a key role to end the gender discrimination and to ensure equal rights of women in Nepal. As a result of her continuous advocacy for the equal rights of women, the present Constitution has guaranteed the provision of at least 33 percent representation of women in all state structures of Nepal.

She served as the Chairperson of All Nepal Women Association from 1997 to 2015, as the Vice-Chairperson of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) from 2007 to 2015 for two consecutive terms, as the member of the Central Committee of Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) from 1997 to 2007.

She was elected as the Member of Parliament in the by-election of 1993, in the mid-term election of 1994 and again in the general election of 1999. She was appointed as the Minister for Environment and Population in 1997 and as the Minister for Defence from 2010 to 2012 before being elected as the Member of the Constituent Assembly of Nepal from 2013 to 2015. She was elected as the first woman President of Nepal on 28 October 2015. She has been serving her second term as the President of Nepal since 13 March 2018 after winning the election.

Her late husband Madan Kumar Bhandari was new Marxist philosopher of Communist movement in Nepal, who propounded the new dimension of Marxist ideology entitled People’s Multiparty Democracy. They are blessed with two daughters.