Nepal, March 28 -- In the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, Sita Badi has been entrusted with the portfolio of the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, making history as the first minister from the Badi community.

Badi was elected to Parliament through the proportional representation system from the Rastriya Swatantra Party under the Dalit women cluster. Her appointment marks a symbolic milestone for one of Nepal's most marginalised communities.

Born in 1995 in Jhuprakhola in ward 11 of Birendranagar Municipality in Surkhet district, Badi grew up facing poverty, caste-based discrimination, social exclusion and humiliation. Her childhood experiences, she says, shaped her commitment to social justice and inclusion....