LONDON: Nepal is the latest country to join the global wave of marriage equality. On June 28, its Supreme Court ruled that the government must immediately offer temporary registration of same-sex marriages pending a change in the law. About 200 couples reportedly sought to register as soon as the judgment was made.

Nepal will, therefore, become the second country or territory in Asia after Taiwan to recognize the right of all couples to marry. It's little surprise that, as in many countries that have achieved marriage equality, it's civil society that's making the change happen, having brought the decisive court case.