[Nepal] Gendercide

Abortion services were legalised in Nepal in September 2002 after much research, advocacy and lobbying at the local, national and international by organisations working in the field of human rights, law and public health. Prior to the legalisation of abortion in the country, it was only permitted if the mother’s life was at risk. Even so, unsafe abortions were rampant accounting for nearly 50 percent of maternal deaths. Existing laws allows voluntary abortion up to 12 weeks; up to 18 weeks if the pregnancy is caused by rape or incest; at any gestational period if pregnancy is harmful to the expecting mother’s physical or mental health and if the foetus has deformity. All the cases of abortion need to be certified by an expert physician and the sex-selective abortion is strictly prohibited.

Sex selective abortion prevails
While every couple desires a small family, some prefer to have at least one or more male child. This preference for a son is because society considers men to be bread earners and for the continuation of the lineage and will take...