Kathmandu, May 16 (AHN) Nepal has, for the first time, established a ministry explicitly recognising sexual minorities, as the country continues its march toward liberal policies for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ) community.

The new government, led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, explicitly included 'Gender and Sexual Minorities' in the name and mandate of a ministry during the administrative restructuring of federal ministries.

According to the Government of Nepal (Allocation of Business) Regulations, 2026, published in the Nepal Gazette, the Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security has been formed.

The ministry will be responsible for the protection, upliftment, empowerment, and development of gender and sexual minority communities, in addition to Dalits, highly marginalised minorities, and citizens from oppressed and backward regions, the regulations state.

The restructuring was carried out based on recommendations made by a committee led by Govinda Bahadur Karki, Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.

The number of ministries has also been reduced from 21 to 18 in line with the committee's recommendations.

The Nepali government's decision delighted the LGBTIQ community, which welcomed the move.

"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," Blue Diamond Society said in a statement.

"We celebrate this important achievement and are encouraged to see our issues formally recognised within a government ministry's name and mandate. This marks an important step toward meaningful inclusion," the statement added.

The group also praised the efforts of Bhumika Shrestha, a lawmaker representing the sexual minority community, for advocating the formation of the ministry under the name of sexual minorities.

Nepal is considered one of the most liberal countries in South Asia in terms of protecting the rights of sexual minority communities. Article 18 of Nepal's Constitution prohibits discrimination on various grounds, including sex. Likewise, under Article 42 (Right to Social Justice) of the Constitution, sexual and gender minorities have the right to participate in state bodies based on the principle of inclusion.

Nepal legally recognises a "third gender" category following a landmark 2007 decision by the Supreme Court of Nepal. Citizenship certificates and passports are also issued under the third-gender 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.

According to Nepal's 2021 national census, there are 2,928 sexual and gender minorities in the country, accounting for roughly 0.01 per cent of the total population. However, activists note that the figure is underreported because the census primarily provided a single "others" category instead of specific identity options.