Abortion law reform in Nepal：尼泊尔堕胎法改革.pdf

ETHICAL AND LEGAL ISSUES IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH Abortion lawreformin Nepal Melissa Upreti ? Center for Reproductive Rights, 120 Wall Street, NewYork, NY 10005, USA abstract article info Keywords: Abortion Lakshmi Dhikta judgment Nepal Rights to abortion Rural women ’srights Supreme Court of Nepal Across four decades of political and social action, Nepal changed froma country strongly enforcing oppressive abortion restrictions, causing many poor women ’s long imprisonment and high rates of abortion-related mater- nal mortality, into a modern democracy with a liberal abortion law. The medical and public munities supported women ’s rights activists in invoking legal principles of equality and non-discrimination as a basis for change. Legislative reform of the criminal ban in 2002 and the adoption of an InterimConstitution recognizing women ’s reproductive rights as fundamental rights in 2007 inspired the Supreme Court in 2009 to rule that denial of women ’s access to abortion services because of poverty violated their constitutional rights. The govern- ment must nowprovide services under criteria for access without charge, and services must be decentralized to promote equitable access. A strong legal foundation nowexists for progress in social justice to broaden abortion access and reduce abortion stigma. ?2014 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetric s. Published by E