Women’s Health Status in Nepal: Appraising Continuity and Change

Abstract

Utilising data from Nepal Demographic and Health Survey from 1996-2016 and some landmark verdicts of the Supreme Court on reproductive rights since the early 1990s, this article evaluates the pace of continuity and change in women’s health status, particularly of reproductive rights of women. Thus, this study aims to identify sociocultural factors that influence women’s health, particularly their reproductive health. Although in the last few decades, Nepal has made substantial achievements in reproductive health service delivery and reduction of childhood mortality, however, performance is rather slow in achieving nutritional and health seeking behaviour. for family planning services, elimination of harmful and discriminatory practices that influences on girls and women’s health adversely. The Supreme Court of Nepal through its series of verdicts has greatly contributed to safeguarding women’s reproductive health progressively, although the full implementation of these landmark verdicts has yet to be materialised. Key findings of this analysis show that health remains gendered in Nepal, from childhood. A major breakthrough could be possible only by removing the social determinants of women’s health.