Geneva – Nepal’s Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) played a pivotal role in Nepal’s 7Nepal’s 7th periodic review of Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), advocating for crucial reforms in women’s health and rights.

During the Public Meetings with NGOs, held on 3 February at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland.

Ms. Medha Sharma, President of Visible Impact, delivered an impactful oral intervention on the thematic issue of sexual and reproductive health and rights, addressing critical challenges under CEDAW’s Article 12 – Women and Health, based on the joint shadow report submitted by 17 CSOs.

In her statement, Ms. Sharma underscored the need for:

•Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE): Urging the State to make gender-transformative and adolescent-responsive CSE compulsory at all levels of education, supported by a robust National Strategic Plan.

•Abortion Law Reform: Calling for the amendment of the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act 2018 to fully decriminalize abortion and repeal abortion-related provisions in the National Penal Code 2017.

•Menstrual Dignity: Highlighting that 89% of women and girls in Nepal face menstrual isolation and calling for an enforcement of a ban on menstrual discrimination and adoption of a comprehensive national policy on dignified menstruation.

•Sexual and Reproductive Health in Humanitarian Settings: Urging amendments to key laws, including the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health and Rights Act 2018, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act 2017, and Public Health Service Act 2018, to explicitly include sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as an essential service during emergencies.

•Maternal Health and Assisted Reproduction: Emphasizing the urgent need to eliminate discrimination in healthcare, ensure dignified maternal health, and establish a rights-based regulatory framework for assisted reproduction, including surrogacy.

•Adolescent Rights: Advocating for the decriminalization of consensual and non-exploitative sexual activity between adolescents of a similar age group while strengthening legal mechanisms against sexual violence.

On 4 February 2025, Shilpa Lamichhane, Executive Director of Visible Impact, moderated the Lunchtime Briefing between CEDAW Committee members and Nepal’s CSO representatives. During the briefing, the Committee raised critical questions on issues such as inheritance rights, trafficking of domestic workers, gender-based violence, discrimination in marriage and disability rights, challenges in gender machinery financing, and barriers in accessing education and financial services.

More than 30 CSO representatives provided key insights and urged for stronger enforcement of existing legal frameworks and more inclusive policies.These interventions reaffirm Nepalese CSOs’ commitment to transparency, accountability, and meaningful engagement in the CEDAW review process. Nepal’s representatives called upon the State to act decisively in ensuring women’s rights and eliminating discriminatory barriers that hinder access to sexual and reproductive health and rights.