Due to poor access to contraceptive devices a lot of women are compelled to conceive frequently, putting their lives at risk.
Despite the government legalizing abortion and investing on family planning programs, a lot of women are still deprived of contraceptive services, said the activists and experts at a program held in the capital on Tuesday. [break]
"If women have more decision making power on the issues of marriage, pregnancy, and abortion, and easy access to family planning services, more lives could be saved," Prateek Pradhan, the editor-in-chief of Nagarik Daily, said at the program. He said that lack of such rights and easy access to contraception is the reason why women have been lagging behind economically, academically and socially. "Poor access to contraception is also responsible for fueling suicides," added Pradhan.
Sonali Regmi, a regional representative of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that Interim Constitution and several other national laws have ensured reproductive rights, but the government has failed to implement them.
She said that a lot of women are still denied their reproductive rights. "Existing maternal mortality rate can be checked if the rights ensured are effectively implemented," she added.
The National Demographic Health Survey-2011 also shows that 27 percent maternal mortality resulted from unsafe abortion.
Sarmila Shrestha of Justice for All, a non-government organization, said that more women have been opting for unsafe abortion methods because safe services are not available in all parts of the country. She said that practices like unsafe abortion, poverty and other health complications can be reduced by making the family planning services effective.
Related story
Sexploration Season 2 Episode 6: The Onus of Contraception
