The nationwide local elections in Nepal were held in May. These elections take a lot of time and energy for all involved. Having spent time in the country while these elections were held in 2017, I can vouch that these elections are nothing like we would see in a western country. When you must travel for days, with all sorts of obstacles in the way of your right to vote, it makes us think about how we take our voting rights for granted in a country like New Zealand.

In a country with such high illiteracy rates, ‘vote for calculator’ is the only way for a voice to be heard.  Written on a wall in Lo Manthang 2017.