Women in Nepal
What are the cultural stigmas towards menstruation?
In Nepal's Achham district, it is estimated that over 95% of girls and women are forced to go through 'menstrual exile', or 'Chhaupadi'. This tradition demands that women having periods be locked away for the duration.
The reason for 'chhaupadi' is predominantly religious. 'If we violate the tradition, snakes will come to our homes. This happens because of God', explains one Nepalese villager. On top of the mental anguish, this practice has also caused deaths - such as death from asphyxiation from fires used to heat the huts. 'We found her early morning - at that time she had already left us', explains one victim's sister.
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