• Most women lack education about the causes and preventative measures of various health and nutritional problems, especially women’s health issues.
• Pregnancy – Mortality rates in pregnant women are extremely high in Nepal. This is caused by poor nutrition and intense manual labour that women, both during pregnancy and after birth, are expected to carry out irrelevant of their health condition. Moreover, it is traditionally believed the harder she works the easier the child birth will be. Many women suffer illnesses and even deaths that could be avoided through professional assistance. Changing health policy alone will not address the issue. Maternal health issues must be addressed as culturally related social issues. Infant mortality rate is 43:1000.

• Chaupadi – Discrimination and marginalisation of women is evident in the traditional treatment of women during the menstruation period known as – ‘Chaupadi’. Women are considered ‘unclean’ and not allowed to perform any daily tasks or touch food or water. It is believed that allowing women in the house during menstruation brings devastating bad luck. In rural villages they are often sent to live in the cow shed for the week or an isolated hut. Many tragic deaths stem from this tradition, through weather exposure, wild animals and even rapes occur as the girl is alone.
• Magical causes – Popular folk remedies have a large number of people believing that magic and the supernatural are the causes of illness. Sickness and death were frequently attributed to ghosts, demons, and evil spirits. People think the evil eye, planetary influences, or the displeasures of ancestors also cause illness. Many precautions against these dangers were taken, including the wearing of charms or certain ornaments, yet medicine and doctors are not sought out. This is still happening in rural Nepal where education programs have not been spread. Deaths and stoning still occur when a village women is accused of sorcery from a livestock death or crop failure.
• Health care facilities, hygiene, nutrition and sanitation in Nepal are of poor quality, particularly in the rural areas. With inadequate government funding health services are out of reach for most Nepali people.

• The poor have limited access to basic health care due to high costs and low availability.
• Individuals who lack a citizenship are marginalized and denied care.

• Traditional beliefs have also been shown to play a significant role in the spread of disease in Nepal.

Nepali women’s rights activists talk about a number of rights we would like ensured in Nepal, but often as activists (from advantaged groups) we forget the most basic and important of all rights—the right to a healthy and dignified motherhood. Republica.com – Dr Arzu Rana Deuba

Women need to be empowered by educating them about their basic right to health, and to take control over their bodies. These issues are discussed informally regularly at Kriayt; the women can be provided with the information as to where they can access healthcare facilities. We also run Health talks and awareness programs. In this way their family will benefit and learn from their knowledge too.