Shailaja Acharya (Nepali: शैलजा आचार्य) (1944 – 12 June 2009) was a Nepali revolutionary, politician and diplomat. She was the first Nepali woman Minister of Water Resources, and the first Nepali woman deputy prime minister. Acharya was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2007. She died of pneumonia in Kathmandu on 12 June 2009. She is remembered for her principled positions, her defiance of tyranny at a young age, her role in the fight for democracy, and her philanthropic activities. She was awarded the honour of Maha Ujjwal Rashtradip by the government of Nepal in 2014.