KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has drawn strong criticism after making remarks about Muslim women during an event on the first day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
Speaking at the program organized by the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens on Tuesday, the Prime Minister said that while no religion teaches violence against women, discrimination still exists in the name of religion.
She also commented that women in the Muslim community traditionally accepted practices like polygamy, though she stated that such customs have been changing with time and legal reforms since 1990.
A short video clip of her speech has gone viral on social media. Many users have accused the Prime Minister of making belittling remarks about a specific community. Criticism has been particularly strong from Muslim youth, activists, and legal students, who argue that such comments harm social harmony.
Majid Ansari, a law student and one of the leading voices from the Gen-Z protest movement, wrote on Facebook that the government has failed to include a single Muslim woman in the current cabinet, yet the Prime Minister chose to speak in a way that hurts religious sentiments. He called for more inclusion and concrete programs to improve educational access for Muslim women.
Women’s rights activist Rita Sah also questioned why the Prime Minister has repeatedly made divisive statements targeting certain communities. She urged the government to focus on empowering marginalized women rather than blaming them for cultural practices.
Meanwhile, Mahamdin Ali, Acting Chairperson of the Muslim Commission, expressed disappointment saying the Prime Minister’s statement was not based on facts.
He said Islam guarantees women’s rights to property and dignity, and highlighted that challenges faced by women exist across different communities. He stressed that leaders must be mindful and well-informed when speaking about religion, culture and traditions in public.
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