--By Eliza Tuladhar

 

Despite the widespread rhetoric on increasing women’s participation in the management sector, the Management Association of Nepal (MAN), the only association of management professionals from various fields in the country lacks such participation. Though 40 per cent of its members are woman, their participation in the association’s activities is quite low. “The number of women members is increasing gradually but we still need their active participation and representation in the association’s activities,” said Treasurer of MAN Shanti Laxmi Shakya who has been working as acting director of legal department of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) since 2045. Shakya is however, in the executive committee for the last 20 years. 

 

According to her, the number of women members and their participation in the association is still not satisfactory. “Women should not remain passive, they should come forward with their views and ideas. If they don’t they will be always deprived from every opportunity,” said Shakya and further stressed on the need for women to struggle and move ahead. “Since its establishment there has been only one female president, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba,” said Shakya. 

 

In 2002the association started awarding best women managers with the “Women Manager Recognition Award.”

 

So far, nine women have received this award. Meera Bhattarai is the first to receive the ‘Woman Manager Recognition Award’ in 2002, while she was serving as the executive director of Association for Craft Producers. Later in 2004 Hajuri Bista, managing director of H.K Food Products received the award. Other outstanding women managers to receive this award are Saraswati Shrestha, executive chairman of Women Cooperative Society Limited (2004), Lily Thapa, executive chairman of WHR, Single Women Group (2006), Sangita Nirola, executive director of SWATI (2007), Rama Pokharel Dahal, assistant general manager of Everest Insurance Limited (2009), Barsha Shrestha, general manager of Clean Energy Development Bank (2010), Pramila Rijal, executive chairman of SAARC Chamber Women Entrepreneurs Council (2011) and Indira Maiya Shrestha chief executive officer of Shtrii Shakti (S2)(2012). 

 

In 2008 Anuradha Koirala, executive chairperson of Maiti Nepal was presented the ‘Outstanding Management Award’ of MAN and she is the only women to receive this award so far.