KATHMANDU: On the occasion of International Women’s Health Day, an awareness program titled “Right to Abortion: Reproductive Health Right” was held on Wednesday.

The event was jointly organized by the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) and the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), emphasizing the need to decriminalize women’s right to abortion.

The program engaged federal parliamentarians, activists, health professionals, and media personnel through poetry, documentaries, music, and drama to raise awareness that the right to abortion is an essential part of reproductive health rights.

Participants were shown a documentary called “Sahayatra” which depicted how the current law criminalizes abortion and the negative impacts it has on Nepali society.

Poet Purushottam Mishra sparked discussion on abortion rights through a mother’s emotional questions conveyed in his poetry.

FWLD Secretary Laxmi Pokharel stressed the necessity to amend the Criminal Code and Safe Motherhood Act to safeguard women’s human rights. She stated, “The right to choose abortion in cases of unwanted pregnancy must not be stigmatized and must be decriminalized.”

The program was moderated by advocate Navin Kumar Shrestha. The Visibility Impact Group delivered positive messages about adolescent girls’ desires, current conditions, and societal pressures through songs and plays. Artists from Shailee Theatre showcased the consequences of negligence within a family setting.

FWLD Chairperson Gita Aryal presided over the event, and CRR representative Prabhakar Shrestha called for unified efforts in the campaign for abortion and reproductive health rights.