TOR for CONSULTANCY FOR FINALIZATION OF LEGAL FRAME ANALYSIS ON ABORTION IN NEPAL

TERMS OF REFERENCE 

CONSULTANCY FOR FINALIZATION OF  LEGAL FRAME ANALYSIS ON ABORTION IN NEPAL

COUNTRY: Nepal

AUTHORS OF THE TOR: Medecins du Monde – France, Nepal Mission

DATE OF REDACTION: 18 September 2025

CONTEXT

Médecins du Monde (MdM) is an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to provide medical care for the most vulnerable populations. It seeks to promote voluntary commitment from doctors, other health care providers, and from those whose expertise in other fields is needed for its activities, to enlist all competent support required for the achievement of its projects, and to seek at all times to encourage close working relationships with populations in their care.

Medecins du Monde has worked in Nepal since 1995 with official General Agreement with SWC from August 2001 as an INGO, having PAN 304462560. Since the inception, MdM is working in the TB/HIV, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and Environment and Health thematic across different provinces of Nepal. 

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is a pillar of MdM’s strategy. Our commitment is clear, solid, and lasting. So that every woman and girl, and more broadly every person regardless of sex, gender or sexual orientation, can freely decide on their sexuality, their body, their health and their life.

Aiming to develop activities in SRHR in Nepal and effectively address emerging SRHR issues of the targeted populations, MdM has done the internal legal analysis and has formulated the interventions where it intends to seek the legal expert opinion to implement the interventions on abortion. In this regard, we need to clearly understand the risks related to such interventions and consequences for MdM, it’s partner organization and the health workers in Nepal. 

OBJECTIVES OF THE CONSULTANCY

GENERAL OBJECTIVE 

To support evidence-based and rights-compliant access to safe abortion in Nepal by finalizing the legal framework, providing informed and actionable recommendations, and conducting a comprehensive risk analysis to identify potential legal, medical, social, and operational challenges, along with strategies to mitigate them.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

1. To review, consolidate, and finalize the existing draft of the legal framework for comprehensive abortion care in Nepal aligning with the latest evidence and policy standards

The scope involves, but not limited to: 

Review of the drafted legal framework and finalize it in consultation with MdM steering committee and make sure the following things are incorporated in the framework: 

• Identification and analysis of the relevant international/ regional texts, legislations, regulations, directives, public policy, legal and ethical codes, case law. 
• Detailed analysis of the national regulations including their provisions, terms, and conditions particularly impacting access to abortion services for women and girls. 
• Understanding of governing bodies and their structures, responsibilities, and related provisions in making decisions and/or interventions.

2. To support the definition of scope of interventions for abortion, by overall risk assessment and formulation of related mitigation measures and risk management frameworks, but not limited to: 

• Assessing the legal risks (including penalties) and the current judicial practices (including police and court) in Nepal and with a focus on the current locations of interventions. 
• Facilitating the MdM team’s analysis of local standards and best practices and formulation of potential context-sensitive abortion interventions for MdM in Nepal.
• Identification of key actors (organisations, groups and individuals, notably in civil society) involved in abortion care and advocacy – i.e. potential MdM’s contacts or partners for its interventions; 
• identification of key actors anti-choice, that could create obstacles or be a threat for interventions, and possible mitigation measures;
• Supporting the MdM team to formulate potential interventions in Nepal and related mitigation and risk management frameworks. 

Click on the link below for the detailed TOR:  

https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=1-MhEmD3f8AoCQcAoRlslWdDBTog9pK5A

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Interested consultants or firms with a background in rights-based SR HR advocacy and legal expertise are invited to submit their application as a complete file of between 10 to 15 pages (excluding CVs) via google link CLICK HERE  by 05 October 2025 with the subject line ‘’CONSULTANCY FOR FINALIZATION OF  LEGAL FRAME ANALYSIS ON ABORTION IN NEPAL’’