UN agencies, NHRC stress on improvement in women status
On the occasion of eve of the 98th International Women's Day, various organisations have stressed on the need to improve the status of women in Nepal.
In a statement on the eve of the international women day, UNICEF has stressed on the need to invest more on maternal health for improvements in maternal health care. UNICEF said better access to maternal health care will reduce the estimated half a million pregnancy related deaths that occur each year and also help reduce child mortality rates.
"Evidence from the World Health Organization shows that a motherless child is more likely to die before the age of two than an infant whose mother survives," said Ann M. Veneman, Executive Director of UNICEF.
"Improvements in the health of pregnant women and new mothers are critical to ensuring children survive their first years," the statement further reads.
The causes of maternal death vary markedly across regions and countries, but maternal mortality is far higher in the developing world than in developed countries. While a number of middle-income countries have made progress in reducing maternal deaths, less progress has been achieved in low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In West and Central Africa, on average the risk that a woman will die in childbirth is 1 in 17, compared with 1 in 8,000 in developed countries.
It is estimated that one in four pregnant women currently receives no antenatal care, and that more than 40 percent give birth without the assistance of a skilled attendant.
Across Nepal women are dying giving birth to little lives. According to UNICEF, Nepal's maternal mortality ratio stands at 281 in 100,000 live births. Even today, 80 out of 100 mothers are delivering babies without the assistance of skilled birth attendants.
Infant, child and maternal mortality rates have shown significant improvement in Nepal in the past decade, the UN agency said. However, maternal and neo-natal mortality rates, especially, still remain at unacceptably high levels.
New schemes to reduce maternal mortality have been recently introduced in the country. These include encouraging women to utilise maternity services -- free for women in 25 districts with Low Development Index.
Similarly, in a statement, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) stressed for proportional representation of women after the state is restructured. NHRC also said the state must invest for betterment of the women and girls and end violence against them.
Additionally, speaking at a press meet organised in the capital on Thursday, OHCHR representative in Nepal Richard Betnett, said, increasing the participation and representation of women in public life, challenging stereotypes and creating gender equality is a very important part of the transition in Nepal.
Having more women involved in the lawmaking process should contribute towards the elimination of discriminatory legal provisions, which is one of the most important measures for enhancing the participation of women in public life and in the fight against impunity, he added.
March 8 is celebrated as international women's day across the globe. nepalnews.com ia Mar 07 08
