Who is Bhumika Shrestha? The 37-year-old activist who is now Nepal's first transgender woman in parliament

Bhumika Shrestha, a 37-year-old activist, recently became Nepal's first transgender woman lawmaker. With garlands draped around her, a beaming, cheering crowd watched as she stepped into a role few from her community ever imagined.

Her rise and achievement marks Nepal's progressive step towards inclusivity, capping years of quiet fights for recognition. After anti-corruption protests shook the old guard last year, fresh elections swept in, handing power to a dynamic new party led by a rapper-turned-leader.

Who Is Bhumika Shrestha?

Bhumika Shrestha made history on March 16, 2026, as Nepal's first transgender woman lawmaker, confirmed by the Election Commission as a proportional-representation MP for the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), according to an AFP report.

The 37-year-old LGBTQ rights advocate shared her mixed emotions with AFP, "I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders." She added, "Our constitution has provisions for our community, but they have not translated to laws and policies. Our community expects me to raise our issues (in parliament)."

Context of elections and party wins

Shrestha joined the House elected on March 5, 2026, the first since deadly protests toppled the prior government in September 2025. RSP, under rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, won 125 of 165 direct seats and 57 proportional ones, securing 182 seats but missing a two-thirds majority by a small margin.

This centrist party's victory opened doors for underrepresented groups like Shrestha's.

LGBTQ rights progress in Nepal.

Umisha Pandey, president of the Blue Diamond Society, called the moment "historic," explaining the AFP, "Our pains, our sufferings, our feelings, our stories, and our every problem are only understood by us, not by others."

Nepal stands out in South Asia with important advancements, like discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation being banned in 2007, third-gender options added to citizenship documents in 2013, passports offering an "others" category since 2015, and a 2023 Supreme Court order allowing same-sex and transgender marriage registrations.

Despite this, no one from the community had served in public office since an openly gay proportional MP in 2008. The Blue Diamond Society estimates more than 9,00,000 sexual minorities across Nepal.

Fans and supporters gathered at the BDS office in Kathmandu, showering Shrestha with scarves, flowers, and a special pen to symbolise her new role in making laws.

Photo via Prakash MATHEMA/ AFP report