KATHMANDU: As many as 62 per cent of women in Nepal have no idea about safe abortion, a study revealed.

At a programme organised here today by Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP), Youth Champion Advocacy Network (Youth CAN) and Media Advocacy Group (MAG), it was shared that although services on safe abortion were rendered in the country since 2002, majority of the women still lacked adequate information about it.

Ananda Tamang, Director of CREHPA, an NGO working in the field of environment, health and population, shared that the unsafe abortion cases were mostly found in 13 districts, including Kaski, Tanahun, Kavrepalanchok and Bhaktapur.

Chairperson Tamang believed that women opting abortion no longer had to endure pain during the termination of the pregnancy as various researches were being carried out to manufacture painkiller medicines for the same.

Stating that a majority of the unsafe abortion cases in the country were attributed to social norms and values and cultural beliefs, he argued that the government should launch income-generating programmes for the mothers begetting daughters so as to help them gain financial freedom.

Also, speaking at the programme MAG Chairperson Babita Basnet stated that sustainable development would not be achieved unless the women's sexual and reproductive rights were established.

She was of the confidence that the media could play a crucial role in achieving the rights to safe pregnancy.

Similarly, Ismrity Thapa, Coordinator of the Youth CAN, spoke of the need to recognise women's sexual and reproductive rights as fundamental women rights and need to bring it under the ambit of every eligible woman.