Devika's

Females have the ability to bear children, and so it may seem only logical to relate fertility and ‘anything’ associated with it as ‘women’s business’. The family planning arena, in particular, has been hugely feminised. From assuming the physical responsibility of using contraception to facing its emotional and mental consequences, the role falls almost exclusively on women. But should pregnancy prevention really just be women’s business? What consequences does the feminisation of contraception have? A wide range of modern contraceptive options are available for women in Nepal. They range from short-acting reversible contraceptives (female condoms, pills and injectables) and long-acting reversible contraceptives (implants and intra-uterine devices or IUDs) to permanent methods (sterilisation). In contrast, condoms and sterilisation (vasectomy) are the only male contraceptives available in the market. Misconceptions that male sterilisation leads to reduced physical strength and...

Nepali youth delegates including Devika (left) with UN  Secretary-General's  Envoy on Youth Mr. Ahmad Alhendawi in New York. This year marks the final year of the Millennium Development Goals, the eight global goals launched in 2000. Now, the world must decide on a new set of goals to guide development priorities for the years to come. Many urgent priorities compete for attention as member states, UN agencies, and a range of other development actors advocate for inclusion of their issues in these so-called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In order to bring the voices of young people into this discussion, the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) convened a Youth Forum on 2-3 February 2015, focusing on how to maximize the engagement of young people in the transition from MDGs to SDGs.  The  youth population  of Nepal is significant: according to the census of 2011, the people between 16-40 years (youth, as defined in Nepal's National Yo...