We are happy to share the #DesignTheLawNepal Toolkit on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) in Nepal, a resource that makes complex legal processes accessible for all.
The toolkit is available free of cost on our website and comes with a user manual and an explainer video to explain its functions and practical usage. All of these can be accessed through a Google Drive link that we will share with you after the completion of this Google Form here.
The #DesignTheLawNepal project aims to create a space for all Nepali citizens to understand their sexual and reproductive health rights, by using accessible language and engaging explainers to mobilise the power of visual communication methods.
It uses legal design methods and deploys visual communication for advocacy and improving legal and health literacy. Within the resources, you will find illustrations of important judgments, six persona cards of individuals from diverse and intersectional backgrounds seeking reproductive healthcare in Nepal, and a legislation explainer for the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act 2018. Using such elements, the toolkit demystifies conversations about SRHR topics, transforms the way we understand legal issues, and offers deeper insights into the real-life experiences of persons seeking reproductive healthcare in Nepal. This means, as well as benefiting citizens directly, it also acts as a tool to use within the spheres of policy-making and practice for a wide range of stakeholders working within the SRHR space (including lawyers, judges, and medical practitioners).
#DesignTheLawNepal is a collaborative project led by Mara Malagodi at the School of Law at the University of Warwick, together with Emily Allbon and Sabrina Germain at City Law School, University of London, Mariam Faruqi, Radhika Saxena, Supriya Roychoudhury, Shivani Shinde, Richa Oberoi, Taran Khan, and Roshani Regmi at iProbono; and Barun Ghimire and Anurag Devkota at the Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice (LAPSOJ). Meenakshi Menon and Bandana Upreti are previous contributors from iProbono. The artwork in the toolkit is by illustrator and comic artist Kripa Joshi.
This project began in 2018 and has been supported at different stages by the City Law School, the Global Challenges Research Fund, the Higher Education Innovation Fund, the School of Law of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Rule of Law Expertise (ROLE) UK Programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by Advocates for International Developments (A4ID). Thanks to the Forum for Women, Law and Development (FWLD) for hosting our 2019 workshop and to all those who have participated in our events and training over the years. We are also grateful to the lawyers, civil society actors, medical professionals, and other stakeholders who offered their crucial inputs.
We are confident this resource will build awareness about reproductive rights and contribute to the goal of total decriminalisation of abortion in Nepal.
We will be hosting a launch event for the toolkit with an exhibition of the artwork later in the year in Nepal. Follow our social media and sign up to our newsletter for updates.
