KATHMANDU, March 20: Ruby Kumari, from Janakpurdum Sub-Metropolitan City-14 in Dhanusha, began receiving marriage proposals at a very young age. Instead of considering Ruby’s own aspirations, relatives and neighbors pressured her parents to marry their daughter off early.
Even as a child, Ruby was rebellious. She had witnessed firsthand the pain endured by girls forced into child marriage. Seeing families suffer under the weight of the dowry system made her restless. Yet, society remained unchanged, and as Ruby grew older, the proposals persisted.
Ruby, however, stood firm with her parents. "I will serve my country first, and only then consider marriage," she told them. Her repeated refusals saved her from the fate of child marriage. Now 25, Ruby—who studied civil engineering—has recently been elected as a proportional representation member of the House of Representatives.
She was elected from the Shram Sanskriti Party. After receiving her certificate from the Election Commission, she said emotionally, "We need to eliminate harmful practices such as child marriage and dowry in the Madhesh region."
According to Ruby, most girls in Madhesh are married before the age of 16, while boys are forced to go abroad for labor. Ruby’s own father has been working in Saudi Arabia for the past ten years. Her first goal is to bring him back home.
Child labour, child marriage still rife in Dang
"Who wants to go abroad if there is employment at home? If jobs existed in Nepal, my father wouldn’t have had to leave. Many Nepalis like him are working overseas. I want to bring them back," she said.
Ruby also plans to advocate for youth employment within the country.
At the certificate distribution event for proportional representation members, Ruby was joined by engineering students, former Miss Nepal Anushka Shrestha, and actress Rima Bishwakarma.
Women from marginalized Muslim communities were also represented in Parliament. Samina Miyan from Chitwan, wearing a headscarf and holding her child, said, "Muslim women are often shy and reserved. I want to focus on education and health to bring them into the mainstream of society." Miyan, a founding member of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), works in nursing and believes political awareness is necessary for societal transformation.
Similarly, Bhim Kumari Budhamagar, 50, from Ghorahi, Dang, was elected as a proportional representative member from the Nepali Communist Party. Politically active since the People's War, she received her certificate in traditional Magar attire. She stated that her energy and enthusiasm for contributing to the republic remain strong. "There is an abundance of youth, and I believe they will do good work," she said.
Padma Kumari Aryal of the CPN-UML, elected under proportional representation, said she will support government initiatives that benefit the public and oppose those that do not.
Prakash Chandra Darji of RSP, elected as a proportional representative, said the party will fulfill its promise to seek justice for the Dalit community.
Ganesh Bishwakarma, a long-time Dalit advocate elected as a proportional representative from the Nepali Communist Party, said he will continue efforts to enact laws protecting Dalit rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
Sita Badi of RSP, elected as a proportional representative, said she will represent the Badi community in Parliament. "The Badi community lacks homes and food. I will raise their voice in Parliament and work to improve their living standards," she said.
Certificates were distributed to the 110 proportional representation members elected in the House of Representatives election held on March 5, 2026. At the event held at the Election Commission’s central office in Bahadur Bhawan, Acting Chief Election Commissioner Ram Prasad Bhandari, along with Commissioners Dr. Janaki Kumari Tuladhar and Sagun Shumsher JB Rana, welcomed the members by applying tika and offering flower garlands.
