KATHMANDU, AUGUST 20

Speakers at an event organised by the UNFPA have called for more initiatives aimed at safe motherhood and reproductive rights by prioritising economic development and inclusiveness to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

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During the programme organised by the UNFPA here today, they also laid emphasis on fulfilment of the commitments regarding population and development for achieving the SDGs. Under gender equality, Goal-5 of SDGs, Nepal has pledged to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls everywhere as well as to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls.

As Nepal is fulfilling its commitments to end child marriage and forced marriage among other ill practices prevailing in the country, thereby becoming effortful to achieve the SDGs, it is understood that Nepal needs to scale up its efforts such as awareness drive and developmental endeavours towards achieving the SDGs by 2030, speakers viewed.

Chief of the Department of Population Studies at Tribhuvan University Prof Yogendra Bahadur Gurung said, 'Although infant mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and child marriage rate has come down significantly in Nepal as per the latest census in 2021, we need to step up our efforts and work more actively to achieve the SGDs within the stipulated time.'Stating that challenges to human security are mounting lately due to urban or Tarai-centric migration, he said we should pay attention to this.

According to him, Nepal has recently reached the stage of achieving its target of reducing population growth rate that was envisaged since the third five-year periodic plan.

UNFPA Representative for Nepal, Won Young Hong suggested that Nepal focus on economic development and advance social development.

She argued that economic development was important for public health rights and equality.

A version of this article appears in the print on August 21, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.