Now here’s some good news from Nepal! The age-old practice of Chaupadi which sees women and girls taking shelter in a shed during menstruation and after childbirth has been criminalised. Individuals found forcing women to take shelter in a shed could now face three months jail time or a Nrs 3000 fine or both. This is certainly a positive move and is better than nothing. What we also need is more awareness campaigns and activism in the mid to far-West rural communities where Chaupadi is common in practice. Quality educating is, everything.
Just fining and jailing the individuals who engage in these activities is not enough. It is our responsibility to educate and discourage them from keeping up with this practice which sadly is killing women every year. I wonder if the passing of this law will lead to more reports of Chaupadi. We shall have to wait and see.
Learn more about Chaupadi – HERE
