No time, no money, no luck: Barriers to prenatal care among dalit women in rural Nepal

Abstract

In Nepal, a large gap exists between non-dalit and dalit women in regard to maternal mortality and prenatal care. Especially rural Dalits are far behind non-dalits in utilizing prenatal care. We explored rural dalit women’s prenatal practices and barriers to accessing prenatal care. Interviews revealed that lack of cultural and economic capital, unequal domestic and economic burden, and gender and caste discrimination impact the use of prenatal care. The use of prenatal care might be improved by informing women about free services and incentives, better access and transportation, and heightened sensitivity to the situation of these women.