The Practice Of Exiling Menstruating Women & Girls From Their Homes & 0ften To A Cow Shed
By: Husna Rizwan
The tragic recent deaths of a mother & her 2 sons in a Chhaupadi hut in Nepal has again brought the issue of this exclusionary practice to the forefront of international human rights & media attention.
Despite being illegal, Chhaupadi, the practice of exiling menstruating women & girls from their home, often to a cow shed – is still practised in some areas of Western Nepal. Chhaupadi is an extreme example of the stigmas & the restrictions around menstruation that exist not only in Nepal, but also globally.
The recent protests at the Sabarimala temple in India, in which women of menstruating age are not allowed to enter the temple, are another example of menstrual pollution beliefs. The image of menstruating women & girls being forced to leave their homes & be confined to a cow shed dominates the media coverage of the issue in Nepal.
But this view over simplifies what is a much more complex issue. Chhaupadi is not only limited to the physical practice of sleeping in a shed, it goes beyond this to include deeply rooted cultural beliefs about impurity, which sees women & girls as inferior & often lead girls to internalise these feelings. Girls are told they are impure from a young age, which can have a damaging effect on their psyche & sense of self -worth.
Many NGO’s & activists are destroying the sheds & the Nepalese Government has introduced new penalties & sanctions, such as removing state food support & other service. While this might seem like a welcome move, in some areas there are reports that this can make it more dangerous for women & girls as instead they sleep outside in the caves or the jungle without even a shelter or a mosquito net.
These practices are deeply ingrained in the culture & even the society. So many women may leave their homes despite sanctions for fear of bringing harm if they don’t.
Tham Maya Thapa, Nepal’s minister for women, children & senior citizens, believes it will take time to end the rituals of the Chhaupadi, as this is a custom that has been deeply entrenched in a Nepalese society for 100’s of years.
Nepal is an exceptionally diverse country of 125 ethnic groups. To tackle Chhaupadi, a nuanced understanding of how menstrual practices & beliefs differ amongst varied religious & ethnic backgrounds is required. Although the tradition of Chhaupadi hits the headlines, there is no one all -encompassing single narrative on menstruation in Nepal.
A research on gender education & gender – based violence in Nepal over the past 2 & a half decades has been going on & they are working on a project on the origins of menstrual beliefs & practices which explores the diverse range of the beliefs, the practices & the historical & the cultural roots which underpin menstrual health customs in all the 7 provinces of Nepal.
They are working with the local organisations & the activists such as Radha Paudel, to challenge menstrual stigma, as a deeper understanding of the diverse menstrual practices beyond the Chhaupadi is needed to do so. Their previous research has highlighted a range of the stigmas & the restrictions, such as not being able to visit the temple & even to participate in religious ceremonies, as well as being forbidden to look in mirrors, cook, or have any contact even with the men. Because while Chhaupadi is a serious human rights issue, other issues of gender – based violence, such as thesexual violence & even the domestic abuse do not get the same widespread media coverage that it really deserves.
A range of the academics & also the activists are challenging even the media representation with their photography, their films & also their art which empowers the so called women & even the so called girls to speak out about their experiences. These can be powerful tools, ensuring that the voices of the women & the girls are heard & highlighting that the women & the girls can be the most active agents of change, rather than simply the passive victims of oppression.
Collaboration with local communities & partners is a key to the changing attitudes & this can be done using participatory & creative methods. For example, a team of experts from the University of Pittsburgh in partnership with the Nepal Fertility Care centre used collaborative filmmaking to include girls in the conversation around menstruation.
The girls who made the film have gone on to be advocates for change & are challenging menstrual stigmas & taboos in their community. Bringing them to Kathmandu increased the confidence of the girls & engaged policy makers, Government ministers & NGO’s. The film received an international audience at the Kathmandu Film Fest as well as media coverage.
Meanwhile, the MenstruAction conference in Kathmandu in Dec, 2018 brought together local expertise working towards challenging stigmas & restrictions thereby enabling & empowering women to realise their sexual & reproductive rights & their basic right to be free from harm & discrimination.
The Government ministries need to engage in these events & work together with grassroots activists to promote change. Complex problems require complex solutions. Menstruation is often framed as a “health & hygiene” issue, but a range of actors are needed to bring about a long – term change. The media have a role to play in raising awareness, but they must be careful not to sensationalise the issue & to also listen to & report, the voices of activists & change makers in the community.
Only when we put women & girls & their voices at the centre of research, policies & interventions, can we truly understand the nuanced nature of the deeply embedded practice of Chhaupadi.
In conclusion one would also like to point out that the similar practise of menstruation stigma between women & girls has been prevalent & eradicated in most part of Indian villages for centuries but unfortunately it has come to the light like Nepal even now it is prevalent in some parts of India & a positive steps should now be taken firmly to finally eradicate this age old practice forever no matter wherever it is still prevalent in India. This taboo should be removed as now women empowerment is gaining momentum as women & girls certainly & definitely deserve equal rights as compared to their male counterparts.
