Nepal

Nepal is a landlocked country of 147,181 square kilometers with a population of nearly 30 million.41 50.4 percent of the population are women and 49.6 percent men.42 40 percent of the population is below 18 years of age. According to UNDPs Human Development Report Nepal is the third poorest among 58 countries in Asia with the sixth lowest human development ranking.

Child marriage is high in Nepal with more than one-third of women aged 20 to 24 years having married before the age of 18 years. 16 percent of women aged 20 to 24 years had a child before the age of 18 years.

Nepal is currently undergoing significant demographic changes due to its transition into a federal state. It is important to ensure that these changes including the process of decentralisation will result in prioritising investment into health, education, nutrition and other child related services by strengthening the social protection system for children and their families.