KATHMANDU: Sita Badi, a proportional representative lawmaker from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), has assumed office as the minister for women, children, and senior citizens under the newly formed government led by RSP senior leader Balendra Shah (Balen). She is the first person from the Badi community to hold a ministerial position.

The 29-year-old minister, a native of Birendranagar Municipality-14, Surkhet, holds a master’s degree and entered parliament representing the Dalit women cluster. Born into an economically disadvantaged family, she worked alongside her parents collecting and selling sand from the Bheri River to support her family.

At age 12, she moved to Kathmandu with the support of an NGO, where she pursued higher education and became an advocate for self-respect and rights. While living in Budhanilkantha, she ran a handicraft business and contributed to women’s economic empowerment through tailoring training programs.

Having faced discrimination and neglect because of her Badi identity, she has consistently raised her voice against societal prejudice, particularly the misconception that women from her community are sex workers. Her activism led her to join the RSP and enter politics, aiming to advance women’s empowerment nationwide.