Nepal gets its first woman chief justice

Sushila Karki became the first female chief justice of Nepal’s Supreme Court ending the male domination of top posts in the judiciary. The Himalayan nation, though still a deeply patriarchal society , is becoming increasingly inclusive, following the end of 10 years of civil war in 2006 and the abolition of 239-year-old feudal monarchy two years later. In September last year, a specially elected constituent assembly approved the first post-monarchical constitution, which gave women the right to “proportional inclusion“ in all government organs. The constitutional council headed by Prime Minister K P Oli recommended the appointment of Karki, 63, to replace Kalyan Shrestha, who retired. Her nomination is expected to be confirmed by a parliamentary panel, though this has not yet been formed due to political bickering. Karki has the reputation of being a fearless judge with zero tolerance for corruption.She is also known for judgments allowing women to pass citizenship to their children, previously something only men could do.