Kathmandu, September 26:

Professor Dr Shanta Thapaliya, the president of Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre, today outlined the need for new law on reproductive health to ensure women’s health rights.

Presenting a concept paper on Reproductive Health Right-Women Human Right at a programme organised by the Family Planning Association of Nepal (FPAN) today to mark the third Reproductive Rights Day, Dr Thapaliya said few people know reproductive health is a woman’s right. “Even today family members decide how many children a woman should bear,” Dr Thapaliya said, adding: “There is an urgent need to formulate law on reproductive health rights and sexual abuse to guarantee women’s rights,”.

Reproductive health rights is not only confined to giving birth to a baby, but is directly associated with social, cultural, financial, legal, political and administration aspects, she said.

It is still not accepted that women should decide on safe physical relations, safe pregnancy, safe delivery and decision on family planning and abortion,” said Dr Thapaliya. Hari Prasad Khanal, chief executive officer at FPAN, said that rights-based organisations should evaluate national polices regarding women reproductive rights and the advocacy on the women’s reproductive rights should reach the lower level community. “The law regarding reproductive rights needs to be improved and the stigmatisation prevalent due to HIV/AIDS should be reduced.”