100 000 live births in 2008, according to estimates by the WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA/The World Bank. Although there has been a significant decrease as compared to the ratio of 539 per 100 000 live births in 2003, the ratio is still one of the highest in the world. Because of the inadequate provision of healthcare for pregnant mothers, they are more susceptible to death during the course of pregnancy and during labor itself. According to the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2001, about 10% of all births are carried out in the presence of a qualified doctor or medical staff. This reflects the prevalence of home births, around 81% of all births, in Nepalese society. Due to the cultural beliefs, women are generally reluctant to allow any outsiders to be present or attend to the birth. Geography has also greatly limited the availability of health services especially those in rural and mountainous regions. Even though there has been much road development in recent years, females are less impacted by it, as they remain infrequent road users. On September 23, 2021, a group of 20-25 youth staged a protest in Kathmandu to pressure the government to remove or reduce the current tax on feminine hygiene products. There is currently a 15% customs duty, 13% Value Added Tax (VAT), and an additional 1.5% VAT on customs duty that are charged while importing the products. Sanitary pads do not fall under the list of essential items—which includes medicines, medical supplies, contraceptives, and condoms—that are exempt from VAT. Feminine hygiene products are instead taxed as luxury items, making them unaffordable for many women in Nepal. Restrictions to travel Several laws have restricted Nepali's women to travel and work abroad. In 2012 the government banned women under 30 from working in Gulf states, although the age threshold and geographical scope of the ban has changed. Meanwhile, Nepali women have been trafficked to other countries without much government intervention while the government restricts them from seeking employment abroad. Gender-based violence against women Gender-based violence (GBV) towards women is a severe issue in Nepal where its women often find themselves susceptible to both public and domestic violence which constitutes rape, sexual abuse in the workplace and at home, and human trafficking. There is a persistence of harmful traditional practices deemed life-threatening such as Deuki (act of offering young girls to Hindu temples to live without proper care or