This is the reason why menstruation being a frightening thing in Nepal
News24xx.com - In the western region of Nepal, Achham, a remote village in the foothills of the Himalayas, the government and social workers has been come from door-to-door for almost a decade to against of chauupadi, an ancient Hindu ritual where a women must went from their homes during menstruation or after childbirth.
The ultimate goal is to end of the segregation and dangers that facing by women when they are driven from their homes.
In Achham itself, at least 12 women have died after following chauupadi since 2007. And the latest occurred last week, where the practice has claimed the lives of another young woman.
Gauri Kumari Budha, a 22-year-old was found dead on January 8, 2018 after spending the night in a chauu hut, a low and windowless shack where she confines herself during her menstrual period.
Officials say that she died from inhaling the smoke from a flamed fire to prevent influenza and snakes. While the other girls previously died from snakebite and infection.
Gauri's death is the first reported death since Nepal's parliament voted to criminalize the chauupadi last year. Gauri left an 18-month-old child.
The new law, which will come into effect in August 2018 and will impose a three-month jail sentence and a 3,000 rupee (USD 30) fine for those who force women to follow the custom.
Birendra Budha, Gauri's husband said that he knew that chauupadi was illegal, and had advised his wife not to sleep in goth chauu.
"I used to tell her not to sleep in the goth chauu because it is unsafe and unhygienic," he said as quoted from Al Jazeera. "But people in here are dogmatic in their beliefs and many women practice the chauupadi."
The policeman that working in the capital, Kathmandu, said that he felt a deep sadness because of his wife's death.
"It's so suddenly, we're all still in shock," he said.
Pema Lhaki, a female health advocate in Nepal, said that she felt sad and angry over Gauri's death.
"When a Nepalese policeman's couple dies because chauupadi, it gives you an indication of the challenges that we must face to ending this practice," she said.
In 2005, the Supreme Court of Nepal banned the practice. However, many women still follow chauupadi, and prompting the government to introduce laws that criminalize it.
But campaigners like Lhaki say that there is still much effort that required to end of chauupadi.
One of them such as raising awareness about the science behind menstruation, as gives information to religious and political leaders, is the key to the end the chauupadi.
In the western tip of Nepal, where chauupadi tradition is considered to be prevalent, many believes that women who are menstruating are impure and can bring bad luck to the household.
In addition must driven from their homes, a women who are menstruating are also prohibited from attending social gatherings and are also prohibited from entering the toilet in their homes.
Describing the superstition held by some Nepalese about menstruation, two local activists, in a recent article on the Republica website, writes, "They believe that if a woman who is menstruating takes water, the well will dry out. If she touches a tree, it will die and if she consumes milk, the cow will stop to feeding, if she reads a book, Saraswati, the goddess of education, will be angry, and if she touches a man so the man will get sick. "
"The practice is upheld by religious leaders in most villages, but women do it with their own conscience, because they believe in doing chauupadi tradition they are supposed to protect their families," said Lhaki, who works for the Nepal Fertility Center.
"If I was told that my actions could harm my daughter, my husband or my family, of course I would not do it."
Lhaki praised the new law as a positive step, but said that women and girls would continue to die or suffer other health problems during the chauupadi tragedy, if people linked menstruation with impurity.
Without such a change of belief, the women themselves will commit the tradition in secret even when the law comes into force.
News24xx.com/dev/red
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