Call for enacting laws for respectful maternity care

Kathmandu, Oct 30: Issues related to respectful maternity care, obstetric violence, and human rights protection are largely limited to academic study in the context of Nepal.     

In a discussion with the media on “Respectful Maternity Care, Obstetric Violence, and Human Rights,” stakeholders emphasized the need for appropriate laws to address these issues.     

The programme was organized today by the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD). Participants highlighted the need for legal measures to protect women’s dignity, their right to self-determination, and human rights during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.     

FWLD Executive Director Advocate Sabin Shrestha said that while these matters may seem ordinary, they are sensitive issues for society.     

“The seventh periodic report of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) has recommended enacting laws against obstetric violence within two years. However, the Safe Maternity and Reproductive Health Act, 2075 BS, has failed to address these issues,” she added.     

During his presentation, FWLD Advocate Dipesh Shrestha cited data showing that in Nepal, physical torture or violence related to maternity care occurs in 1% of cases, discriminatory treatment in 6%, and verbal abuse or insulting behavior in 23% of cases.     

Stakeholders stressed that healthcare workers should receive training on a human rights-based approach and respectful maternity care, that physical infrastructure and facilities should be designed to ensure confidentiality and equality, and that service-related complaints should be monitored transparently by the service-providing institutions.(RSS)