A Nepalese public health nurse said of the U.S. termination of reproductive health programs: “In situations where families could not understand the rationale for a mother's death, these programs had ultimately done what the government had failed to do: break gender norms that undervalued women's lives.”

Date: 3/26

Region: South Asia

Country: Nepal

Topic: Gender Equality & Inclusion, Health

Policy Lens: Moral Leadership

Entry Type: Field Observation

Additional Context: This quote was collected as part of The Aid Report's original reporting, "In Nepal, US ends effort to help women make life-or-death choices." The reporter looked into the impacts of aid cuts on a nationwide program designed to "break gender norms that undervalued women's lives." The Adolescent Reproductive Health, or ARH, program worked across homes, schools, and villages to shift behaviors around pregnancy, childbirth, and adolescent health.

The quote is attributed to Bishnu Shrestha, a public health nurse at the Banke District Health Office. Banke District already records high maternal mortality rates. Shrestha estimates that current maternal and neonatal deaths are on track to surpass previous years.

Source: Devex