Advancing disability-inclusive abortion care

“Women with disabilities are often excluded in information on sexual and reproductive health, including safe abortion and contraception.”

Ipas
Oct 2025

Disability Justice is reproductive justice.
Everyone has the right to make decisions about their body and health. But for people with disabilities, that right is often denied by health systems that ignore their needs and exclude them by design.

At Ipas, we know that reproductive justice is impossible without disability justice. That’s why we’re transforming programs, policies, and spaces to center accessibility and include the leadership of people with disabilities. Guided by our Feminist Principles for Partnership, we’re working to build abortion and contraception ecosystems that serve everyone.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/our-work/advancing-disability-inclusive-abortion-care/

22.10.2025

Commentary

abortion and disability

Advocacy for Women with Disabilities

Deaf Women Association of Nigeria

disability justice

Ipas

Ipas Nepal

Sins Invalid collective

Rising together: How grassroots leaders are lifting the next generation in Nepal

Ipas
Aug 8, 2025

In rural Nepal, women’s lives have often been restricted by silence and unspoken rules. From menstruation taboos to misinformation on family planning and abortion, many young women are taught to accept harmful practices as normal. For years, Himali Khatri did too. “I am almost 40 years old, and until now, I have never received such knowledge about reproductive health,” she says.

Everything shifted for Khatri when she was selected for Natural Leaders training through Ipas Nepal, a five-day program designed for women with the potential to influence change in their communities. The training covers sexual and reproductive health and rights, safe abortion, family planning, gender-based violence, and climate resilience.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/rising-together-how-grassroots-leaders-are-lifting-the-next-generation-in-nepal/

08.08.2025

Commentary

Videos/Images

gender-based violence

Himali Khatri

Ipas Nepal

Natural Leaders training

Current abortion law in Nepal leading to unsafe practices

Although Nepal's Constitution and international women's rights movements guarantee the right to safe abortion, experts have pointed out that the recent Safe Abortion Act has narrowed this right, effectively criminalizing both service seekers and providers.

By Pabitra Sunar
June 17, 2025

KATHMANDU, June 17: Although Nepal's Constitution and international women's rights movements guarantee the right to safe abortion, experts have pointed out that the recent Safe Abortion Act has narrowed this right, effectively criminalizing both service seekers and providers.

This concern was raised by presenters during a recently held dialogue on reproductive rights. … experts argue that despite these provisions, the law has effectively criminalized the right to abortion. Pushpa Joshi, a member of YoSHAN, stated that the existing legal framework automatically leads to criminalization. As a result, instead of accessing safe abortion services, many women are forced into unsafe abortions, she said.

Continued: https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/current-abortion-law-in-nepal-leading-to-unsafe-practices-92-31.html

‘Nepal advances in SRHR but needs more investment’

By Samiksha Shrestha
January 29, 2025

Dr. Anu Kumar, president and CEO of Ipas, an international NGO advancing reproductive justice, visited Nepal last week. Ipas Nepal focuses on improving sexual and reproductive health and rights for women and adolescents through access to safe abortion, contraception and gender-based violence prevention. An internationally recognized advocate for women’s rights, Dr. Kumar holds advanced degrees in public health and anthropology. During her visit, she met with government officials and members of the diplomatic community to discuss Nepal’s health system, which receives only 4.6% of the national budget—far below the WHO-recommended 10%. Republica’s Correspondent, Samiksha Shrestha, interviewed Dr. Kumar, covering issues surrounding sexual and reproductive health in Nepal. Excerpts:

Continued: https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/amp/news/nepal-advances-in-srhr-but-needs-more-investment-79-56.html

29.01.2025

Transforming abortion stigma in Nepal: One provider’s story

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2024

Amid the towering Himalayas in Nepal, attitudes about abortion have been changing. In 2002, abortion went from being criminalized to being legal for any reason up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Since then, access has only expanded.

Dr. Deeb Shrestha Dango, a dedicated OB-GYN and head of health systems and policy for Ipas Nepal, has stood at the forefront of this transformation. Navigating a shifting landscape of abortion rights and stigma, she has fought to expand abortion access in Nepal for over twenty years.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/transforming-abortion-stigma-in-nepal-one-providers-story/

25.03.2024

Commentary

abortion stigma

abortion values clarification for action and transformation

Dr. Deeb Shrestha Dango

Nepal – Call to provide reproductive rights services to women

By Himalayan News Service
Mar 06, 2022

Women rights activists have said that Nepal
needs to invest adequate resources to provide safe abortion services and other
reproductive rights services to women.

Addressing a programme 'F for Feminism' organised by Forum for Women, Law and
Development, Deputy Country Director of Ipas Nepal Jagadishwar Ghimire said it
was bizarre that even 20 years after safe abortion was legalised by the
country, 58 per cent women were undergoing unsafe abortion. "This means
that Nepal needs to overcome many challenges to enable women to enjoy their
reproductive rights guaranteed by the constitution,"

Continued: https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/call-to-provide-reproductive-rights-services-to-women

Keeping women’s health essential despite Covid-19 shortages

Keeping women's health essential despite Covid-19 shortages

Opinion by Anu Kumar
Thu May 7, 2020
(Video: Fear, panic as women navigate pregnancy during a pandemic, 02:59)

(CNN)The world is changing daily as a result of Covid-19. Like millions of people, I now have a virtual workday. I am fortunate -- I'm safe and comfortable at home with my family in North Carolina.

Although living socially distanced and not knowing when life will return to normal is a struggle, I am comforted by the knowledge of the frontline workers I work with around the world working to alleviate some of the harm being inflicted on those living in dense and underserved communities.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/06/opinions/covid-19-womens-health-abortion-access-kumar/

Why universal health coverage must include abortion

Why universal health coverage must include abortion

Friday, January 24, 2020
Ipas

Abortion is health care, and health care is a human right. That’s why efforts to advance universal health coverage (UHC)—an international effort to guarantee that all people, regardless of where they live, have access to essential, quality health services without financial hardship—must include strong language defining sexual and reproductive health care, including abortion care, as an integral part of health and well-being. Ipas is committed to working with the World Health Organization, governments and other partners to attain the Sustainable Development Goal targets, which include achieving UHC.

“The world still has far to go to achieve gender equality,” said Ipas Senior Technical Manager for Community Engagement Tanvi Monga in a recent opinion for Global Health Now. “Women shoulder the burden of child care, elder care, household care, family health and health-care costs—and for poor or near-poor women anywhere in the world, health-care costs can cause irrevocable financial strain.” Plus, health-care services labeled as “for women” are frequently separated from other services—and are harder to access or more expensive.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/2020/January/why-universal-health-coverage-must-include-abortion

Nepal – Unsafe abortion continues unabated

Unsafe abortion continues unabated

Published: January 05, 2020
Rastriya Samachar Samiti

Abortion has been legalised in Nepal since March 2002 and in normal cases, abortion up to 12 weeks’ gestation, with the consent of pregnant women, is allowed. In special cases, it is allowed up to 28 weeks of pregnancy.

However, abortion is still considered a stigma in Nepali society. Of those women undergoing abortion, 58 per cent chose unsafe procedure, according to data published by various organisations working in the reproductive health rights sector.

Continued: https://thehimalayantimes.com/nepal/unsafe-abortion-continues-unabated/

Nepal – Unsafe abortion puts women’s lives at risk in Ilam

Unsafe abortion puts women’s lives at risk in Ilam

- BIPLAV BHATTARAI, ILAM
May 7, 2019

Although 21 health facilities including the district hospital in Ilam have been providing safe abortion services free of cost, many women are still risking their lives opting for unsafe abortion procedures in Ilam Municipality.

According to the data of the district hospital, 32 women who had underwent unsafe abortion arrived at the hospital for treatment in the first six months of the running fiscal year. Lack of awareness on safe abortion services and policies among women in the municipality has led to many opting for unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://kathmandupost.ekantipur.com/news/2019-05-07/unsafe-abortion-puts-womens-lives-at-risk-in-ilam.html

07.05.2019