Bidya Devi Bhandari
Who was Bidya Devi Bhandari?
Nepal's first female president, serving from 2015 to 2023. She previously served as Vice President and was a member of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist).
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Bidya Devi Bhandari (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Bidya Devi Bhandari was born on June 19, 1961, in Mane Bhanjyang, Nepal. She studied at Tribhuvan University and became actively involved in politics with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or CPN-UML. She climbed the ranks to become vice-chairperson of the party. Her marriage to Madan Kumar Bhandari, a well-known communist leader who died in a controversial road accident in 1993, greatly influenced her early political identity and strengthened her dedication to left-wing politics in Nepal.
Before Fame
Bhandari grew up in Mane Bhanjyang when Nepal was still a Hindu monarchy with limited political freedoms. Her early years were marked by the gradual rise of leftist political movements in Nepal, and she became interested in communist politics as a young woman. She attended Tribhuvan University, the country's top academic institution, where student political activism was common.
Key Achievements
- Became Nepal's first female president, elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2018
- First woman to serve as Minister of Defence of Nepal (2009–2011)
- Served as vice-chairperson of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist)
- Ranked among Forbes magazine's 100 most powerful women in the world in 2016
- Chaired the All Nepal Women's Association and campaigned extensively for women's rights and environmental awareness
Did You Know?
- 01.She was ranked 52nd on Forbes magazine's list of the world's 100 most powerful women in 2016.
- 02.Her husband Madan Kumar Bhandari died in a road accident in 1993 that many in Nepal considered suspicious, and the incident remained a subject of public debate for years.
- 03.She visited the headquarters of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Gland, Switzerland in June 2017 to discuss nature conservation and sustainable development.
- 04.She was the first woman to serve as Nepal's Minister of Defence, holding that post from 2009 to 2011.
- 05.She served as chair of the All Nepal Women's Association before being elected to the presidency in 2015.