The Right to Abortion in Nepal: A Decades-Long Journey

Two decades ago in Nepal, a woman seeking an abortion would be denied care—and if she managed to obtain care outside the legal medical system, she’d likely be imprisoned. But today, the right to abortion is guaranteed in Nepal’s Constitution and legislation. 

How was that progress accomplished?  

Find out about the decades-long struggle for legal abortion protections in the new documentary Collective Voyage: A tireless journey for ensuring the right to safe abortion in Nepal.  The film showcases how advocates, legal experts, health workers, policymakers, and others worked diligently over a 25-year period to ensure abortion became a fundamental human right for women in Nepal.   

Developed by the Center for Reproductive Rights and its Nepalese partner Forum for Women, Law and Development, the 23-minute documentary highlights the role of partners in shaping Nepal’s abortion law through various advocacy and legal strategies, tracing the step-by-step path from total ban to constitutional protection.

Watch Collective Voyage in English:

Watch Collective Voyage in Nepali:

Even as the documentary celebrates Nepal’s progress, it also shows there’s more work to be done to achieve full abortion decriminalization. The Center and its partners are continuing to work on those efforts and to ensure full rights to bodily autonomy and reproductive freedom.