– Reversing 150 years of legal discrimination against women, today Nepal’s Lower House of Parliament passed an amendment to the Civil Code that partially legalizes abortion and brings about sweeping changes in many other discriminatory laws. Once Nepal’s king signs the legislation, abortion will be legal under certain conditions, including upon request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when a woman’s life or health is in danger, and in cases of rape, incest, and fetal impairment.
In a nation where one in five women in prison have been incarcerated for having an abortion, which until today was illegal in every circumstance, Nepal’s government now must take action to release those women.
"Nepal’s brutal abortion law is now history, but the fate of those women imprisoned for abortion is unclear," said Melissa Upreti, legal adviser for the Center for Reproductive Rights' Asian Program. "Women’s equality under the law requires the government to take action and end this great injustice of imprisoning women for abortion," added Upreti.
Next week, the Center for Reproductive Rights and the Forum for Women, Law and Development of Nepal will release a report "Abortion in Nepal: Women Imprisoned," which documents the human rights abuses resulting from Nepal’s draconian law. The report will feature stories of some of the women in prison, many of whom are serving life sentences imposed without any opportunity to obtain lawyers to defend themselves in court.
Despite today’s landmark act, abortion will remain out of reach for many women, particularly rural and poor women. The Bush Administration’s Global Gag Rule will pose an added barrier to access by forcing the many local reproductive health service providers receiving U.S. assistance to choose between important funding and the provision of abortions.
For more information about the Center for Reproductive Rights’ soon-to-be-released report "Abortion in Nepal: Women Imprisoned", please contact press@reprorights.org.
