The election of 197 women to the Constituent Assembly (CA) of Nepal in 2008 was a historic achievement and raised hopes with regard to ensuring gender equality in the constitution-building process.

The elected women comprised almost 33 per cent of the 601 members and included former politicians, women activists, professionals, former combatants and war widows.

Against this backdrop, the project of creating a ‘political biography’ of these 197 women was established. International IDEA, in collaboration with the Nepal Law Society, the Women's Caucus of the CA and the CA Secretariat, initiated a research-and interview-based study to document the roles, struggles and contributions of the women elected to the Assembly.

This publication presents the stories of these women, which reflect their struggles, hopes and perseverance in bringing equality to Nepali society.

Their stories include journeys from battlefields to politics and from student politics to national politics, transformations from oppressed village girl to prominent politician, and life-long engagements in political movements, social work and professional life.