Kathmandu, August 3

Stakeholders called for implementation of sexual and reproductive health rights during a workshop — Media Value Clarification — organised in the capital today.

Advocating the issues of sexual and reproductive health rights, speakers at the workshop highlighted the provision of age-appropriate comprehensive sexuality education, legalisation of same sex marriage and setting up of stigma-free and youth-friendly safe abortion services.

Speakers said sexual and reproductive health education must be incorporated from lower classes in the school curriculum. They also raised issues of same sex marriage at the event.

Airing their voice, LGBTIQ activists demanded that same sex marriage be legalised. “Like others, we too want to have our own families. We need partners to share our feelings and emotions.

There should be a legal provision for same sex marriage,” said an LGBTIQ activist.

Speaking about the current legal status of same sex marriage, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens Rudra Devi Sharma said that there was no legal provision for same sex marriage.

“A committee has submitted its report on same sex marriage. Things will not change overnight. Multiple rounds of discussions are necessary,” she added.

She also highlighted the challenges for implementation of fundamental rights of the LGBTIQ community.

“No one should be discriminated on the basis of sexual orientation,” Sharma said.

Other speakers at the event discussed media advocacy of issues of sexual and reproductive health. Highlighting the legal aspects of safe abortion, Advocate Nabin Shrestha expressed concern about implementation of Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Right Act.