Overview

In a small village in Nepal, what began as a consensual sexual act between two adolescents soon spiraled into public gossip and shame. After the pair were caught, the local village council—popularly known as Panchayat—stepped in to call a public meeting, summoning the adolescents’ parents and the police. Although the matter did not end up in court, their act was morally condemned, and they were stripped of their dignity and privacy. Their families were interrogated, the boy’s family was fined, and the girl’s family was publicly humiliated and shamed.

This true story reflects a broader reality across Asia where the combination of punitive legal frameworks and stigma creates a culture of fear and silence around adolescent sexuality. Adolescents across the region face criminalization for consensual, non-exploitative sexual relationships, and are denied access to contraceptives, sexuality education and abortion services.

The Center for Reproductive Rights is committed to ending these indignities by expanding rights and legal protections. Through strategic legal advocacy in India, Nepal, and the Philippines, the Center is challenging restrictive laws and policies and advocating for the decriminalization of adolescent sexual activity to ensure their equitable access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

India: shaping the narrative

India: shaping the narrative

In India, the Center’s legal advocacy aims to decriminalize consensual and non-exploitative sexual activity amongst adolescents, fighting for their right to explore relationships without fear of criminal prosecution. It collaborates with partners and networks such as the Abortion Rights Alliance for Inclusion, Safety and Empowerment (ARISE) to advance adolescent girls’ access to abortion and other sexual and reproductive health services, as well as to counter anti-rights action.

Nepal: towards legal reform

Nepal: towards legal reform

In a significant advocacy milestone, the Center and its partners recently submitted formal recommendations to the Government of Nepal urging it to decriminalize consensual sexual acts among adolescents. The Center also partnered with the High Court Bar Association in Nepal to co-convene a high-level dialogue among lawyers, Supreme Court Justices, and High Court judges. The dialogue aimed to deepen their understanding of the legal and social implications of Nepal’s current age of consent law, and to garner their support during this crucial phase of the law reform process.

Philippines: advocacy and change

Philippines: advocacy and change

In 2022, the Philippines decriminalized consensual activity among adolescents—a monumental change that followed years of Center advocacy. The Center and a partner raised the issues of decriminalization and comprehensive sexuality education in a 2020 submission to the Convention on the Rights of the Child committee, urging the government to reform its laws and policies. It has also worked to build support for the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, working with national partners and allies to monitor opposition, conduct legal research, and build stakeholder awareness.

Moving forward

Moving forward

The Center’s work across India, Nepal, and the Philippines has created a powerful ripple effect in advancing adolescents’ SRHR in the region. Its collaboration with partners and stakeholders has ignited and strengthened legal discourse around age of consent laws and the decriminalization of consensual sexual acts among adolescents, protecting rights and ensuring access to services and information without fear and stigma. At the core of this work is the protection of young people, who should not face criminalization for exploring a natural part of their developmental. These stories now represent a growing movement towards rights, dignity and autonomy.

As a next step in amplifying adolescent SRHR, the Center’s Asia Program is engaging with various regional and global networks, including the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP). The Seventh ICFP took place from 3-6 November 2025 in Bogota, Colombia, bringing together researchers, governments, advocates, health equity champions, and local communities to celebrate progress, pledge new commitments, and chart the way forward.

In collaboration with partners from Nepal, India and the Philippines, The Center showcased regional advocacy efforts focused on advancing adolescent SRHR and the decriminalization of adolescent sexuality in Asia during a panel titled “Decriminalization of Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR): An Equity Issue for Adolescents in Asia”.

Through this and many such efforts, the Center aims to strengthen Global South collaboration and learn from other global peers.

Voices from the ground

Voices from the ground

Hear directly from our partners on the ground: