Mangala Devi Singh ( मंगलादेवी सिंह) was a pioneer feminist and prominent democratic right activist of Nepal. Singh got involved in politics in 1940 at the age of 16. Her husband was the leading Nepali Congress Leader Ganesh Man Singh. Mangala Devi Singh's contributions include:

1. Advocacy for Women's Rights: Singh was instrumental in advocating for women's education and legal rights. She worked tirelessly to bring issues affecting women into the public discourse.
2. Social Reforms: Through her involvement with various social organizations, Singh contributed to reforms aimed at improving the social and economic status of women in Nepal.
3. Literary Contributions: She also authored works that highlighted the challenges faced by women and promoted feminist ideas.

In 1948 Mangala Devi Singh led a delegation to Prime Minister Padma Shumsher to demand education, employment and voting rights for women.

In 1952, the Nepal Womens Association had an ideological split, with Mangala leading a faction which believed that womens rights could be attained through democratic reform. while another faction, led by Kamaksha Devi held the belief that only a radical change could provide women with their rights, this division culminated later that year when a decision to protest the arrival of First Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru caused Mangala to lose her support. During the protest police arrested a number of women attempting to reach the Prime Minister to protest radically with black flags, contrary to this Mangala welcomed Nehru alone. This act lead to her removal as president and replacement with Kamaksha Devi. Congress Leader Ganesh Man Singh.

She died in August 1996 of Kidney Failure, Aged 70

Mangala Devi Singh's legacy is remembered as a cornerstone in the development of the women's movement in Nepal. Her efforts have had a lasting impact on the empowerment of women in the country.

Mangaladevi Singh: A Pioneer Female Leader

Despite being recognized late, Mangaladevi Singh stands as the first female leader in Nepal who initiated the women empowerment movement. It took more than a century for her contributions to be officially acknowledged in establishing equal rights for women in Nepal.

As the wife of Ganesh Man Singh, a prominent freedom fighter and democratic leader, Mangaladevi Singh dedicated over five decades to raising their children while supporting her husbands efforts in the struggle to establish and restore democracy in Nepal. In her memoir, this revolutionary female leader recounted her arduous journey in fighting for womens rights during the Rana Regime and the Panchayat era.

Despite facing opposition from communist parties and leaders who attempted to discredit her revolutionary role, the Nepali Congress has been slow in recognizing her as the first female leader.

After 100 weeks (2 years) of remembering Ganesh Man Singh’s contributions to modern day Nepal, reflecting upon his life and values in two phases divided between two major movements for democracy in Nepal, one against the Rana regime and the second against the partyless Panchayat System, the Ganesh Man Singh Foundation in its third phase has decided to pursue an equally important phase:

The contributions of Mangala Devi Singh, while understanding the current political sphere of Nepal, cannot be overlooked. Her role, along with many other leading women rights activists of Nepal which include but are not limited to Yogmaya Neupane, Sahana Pradhan, Sadhana Pradhan, Kamaksha Devi Rana, and Hira Devi Tuladhar , have helped shape the current socio-political space of Nepal’s women, right from fighting for women’s political rights and education, initiatives to ban discriminatory practices and so on. While, the fight for equality continues, Phase 3 of Democracy Series: the life and values of Mangala Devi Singh will attempt to provide insight into the social and political rights of women in Nepal from the 1940s.

A fierce advocate of women’s political rights, Mangala Devi Singh in 1948 led a delegation to Prime Minister Padma Shumsher to demand education, voting rights, and employment for women. She was also one of the many members, who defied curfew orders imposed by the Ranas in 1950, and also founder of the Nepal’s Women Association in 1947.