In her address at a high-level meeting of women political leaders in New York, Dr. Arzu Rana Deuba, Nepal’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, highlighted the country’s significant progress in reproductive health and safe motherhood. She underscored that Nepal’s Constitution guarantees women’s reproductive rights and safe motherhood as fundamental rights, making Nepal one of the few countries in Asia with such comprehensive legal protections.
Dr. Rana also emphasized the country’s achievements in safe abortion rights, noting that past instances of women being imprisoned for foeticide have been resolved with the legal recognition of safe abortion rights. Reflecting on her advocacy work, she recalled how female leaders from different political parties, under her leadership, successfully campaigned for the constitutional guarantee of these rights.
She further acknowledged the contributions of Nepal’s 273 female lawmakers in ensuring that these critical provisions were included in the Constitution, helping advance women’s reproductive rights and healthcare. Dr. Rana noted that, despite Nepal’s relatively small GDP, the country’s focus on women’s reproductive health has led to improvements in its Human Development Index. This progress reflects Nepal’s commitment to prioritizing women’s rights and reproductive health, areas that continue to be critical for the country’s overall development.
