Nepal has become the first country in South Asia to establish a dedicated government ministry explicitly naming gender and sexual minorities in its mandate, as Prime Minister Balendra Shah's administration completed a sweeping restructuring of federal ministries on 16 May 2026. The move is being hailed as a landmark moment for the LGBTIQ community across the region.

The New Ministry and Its Mandate

Under the Government of Nepal (Allocation of Business) Regulations, 2026, published in the Nepal Gazette, the newly formed body is officially titled the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security. Its mandate covers the protection, upliftment, empowerment, and development of gender and sexual minority communities, alongside Dalits, highly marginalised minorities, and citizens from oppressed and backward regions.

The restructuring also reduced the total number of federal ministries from 21 to 18, based on recommendations by a committee led by Govinda Bahadur Karki, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

Community Response

The Blue Diamond Society, Nepal's leading LGBTIQ rights organisation, welcomed the decision with an official statement. 'This is a historic and long-awaited milestone for Nepal's gender and sexual minority communities. It reflects the government's recognition of the rights, dignity, and inclusion of gender and sexual minorities within the national governance framework,' the group said.

The organisation also credited lawmaker Bhumika Shrestha, who represents the sexual minority community, for her sustained advocacy in pushing for the ministry's name to formally include sexual minorities.

Nepal's Progressive Legal Framework

This development builds on a foundation of progressive legislation that sets Nepal apart in the region. Article 18 of Nepal's Constitution prohibits discrimination on multiple grounds, including sex, while Article 42 guarantees gender and sexual minorities the right to participate in state bodies on the principle of inclusion.

Nepal legally recognised a 'third gender' category following a landmark ruling by the Supreme Court of Nepal in 2007, with citizenship certificates and passports now issued under that category. In June 2023, the Supreme Court issued an interim order directing the government to temporarily register same-sex and non-traditional marriages while the final constitutional interpretation remains pending.

Scale and Undercounting Concerns

Nepal's 2021 national census recorded 2,928 sexual and gender minority individuals, representing approximately 0.01% of the total population. However, activists argue the figure is significantly underreported, as the census offered only a single broad 'others' category rather than specific identity options — a methodological gap that the new ministry may now be positioned to address.

With a dedicated ministry now in place, advocates are watching closely to see whether budget allocations, policy frameworks, and data collection will follow to give the mandate real institutional weight.