Kathmandu – Chairperson of the Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee, Pooja Chaudhary, has stated that abortion services in Nepal are still not quality, affordable, accessible, and safe enough. Speaking at an interaction program organized on Wednesday by Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) and Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) on the eve of International Women’s Health Day, Chairperson Chaudhary said, “Although reproductive health is a fundamental right of women, we have still not been able to make services quality, affordable, accessible, and safe.”

She noted that while incidents of suffering faced by women in society regarding reproductive health issues have decreased, they have not been completely eliminated. Expressing commitment to making services safer, reliable, and more accessible, she said, “Due to a lack of education and awareness, women in remote areas are still forced to live in fear and uncertainty. Risks can only be reduced through education and awareness. Since women are connected to reproductive health from birth, expanding education and public awareness on this issue is a necessity today.”

FWLD and CRR have long been advocating and campaigning for quality, affordable, accessible, and safe abortion services. During the program, an audiovisual presentation highlighted the role played by FWLD and CRR in transforming abortion from an illegal practice into a safer and more accessible service, up until the enactment of the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act 2018.

Regional Director of CRR, Pravina Bajracharya, stated that despite the introduction of the Safe Motherhood Act, legal complexities still remain. She said that although abortion has been legalized, it is still included in the criminal code, making it difficult to fully consider the service safe and reliable. She further noted that women imprisoned during the time when abortion was illegal have still not been released. According to her, much more work remains to be done to separate abortion from the criminal offense code.

A drama was also presented during the event, depicting the kinds of incidents related to reproductive health that can occur in rural areas due to lack of law, awareness, and education. The play, performed by Foreign Theater, deeply moved many attendees.

The program was chaired by FWLD President Geeta Devi Aryal and hosted by advocate Nabin Kumar Shrestha.