Bad practices in the Society
Chhaupadi Pratha is a Hindu social
practice in the western part of Nepal whereby women are excluded from
normal family activities during menstruation because they are
considered impure. Even though the law forbids, women undergoing menstruation are kept outside the house and have to
live in a shed with cows and other animals. This lasts for eleven
days when an adolescent girl has her first period, and four to seven for
every following period. Science defines menstruation as biological process
whereas Chhaupadi Pratha is a social construct. Chhaupadi Pratha has been in practice in Nepal for a very long time and
thus has turned into a tradition and culture of people in the western.
Regardless of this system, Chhaupadi Pratha, with diligent advocacy, massive
awareness campaign and proper education at various levels to people can be
eradicated.
Women are still forbidden to touch men
and even to enter the courtyard of their own homes. They are
banned from consuming milk, butter, and other nutritious foods, for they
fear that these women will spoil the food. Women must survive on a diet of dry
foods, salt, and rice. They cannot use warm blankets as they are allowed only a
small mat. They are also restricted from going to school or performing
their day to day functions like taking a bath, all the while being
forced to stay in a barbaric condition of the shed. This system comes
from the belief that women are impure during menstruation. The superstition is
that if a woman undergoing menstruation touches a tree it will never bear
fruit again; if she consumes milk, the cow will not give any more milk;
if she reads a book, the goddess of education, Saraswati will become
angry; if she touches a man, he will become ill.
The ‘Chhau Katero[1]’
is built far from the house and the playground of children. Generally,
all sheds are without a safety compound wall where everyone can go easily. Usually
these sheds are made in a place where waste is disposed of. All parts of the
sheds are covered except for a small hole – which is the door. The floor is
made of mud and the shed is not furnished. There is a common myth that
their deities would get angry if a bedstead were kept for in the shed.
Mostly women sleep alone in the shed in menstruation period. Sometimes
three to four women have to share the shed. Against all odds, Chhaupadi
Pratha can still be eradicated.
Dailekh, Dadeldhura, Achham, Dipayal and
their surrounding are the major places where Chhaupadi Pratha can be found in
practice till date. Data from Central Bureau of Statistics
(CBS)
clearly indicate that the education level in the region is minimal. 66.21% of
people are uneducated in those areas (CBS, 2010). It can be clearly seen that lack
of awareness and lack of education has formidable hand in the continuity of
this system in these area. Educating the people both, men and women, adult and
child about the negative impact of the Chhaupadi Pratha in the health of women
would definitely strengthen the activism to eradicate Chhaupadi Pratha. Including
study about menstruation in curriculum of schools would help educate the
younger generation whereas organising classes regarding menstruation in adult
and literacy classes would further strengthen the cause.
In addition, launching massive awareness
campaigns through radio would help in raising awareness about the malpractice
going on in the society. Success stories from other places, especially from
nearby villages and town would help in strengthening the moral of the women in
the area. For direct penetration, organising street drama, holding talks
amongst the stakeholders of community, government officials, doctors and other
members of society (NGOs and INGOs), about menstruation and Chhaupadi Pratha
would help in minimising the superstition amongst the people. Advocating the
women’s right and the law would also strengthen the action and thereby provide
a helping hand to the cause. Reproductive rights of women have been categorized
by the state as one of the fundamental rights of women by the state (Nirmal,
2010).
All said and done, the culture and
tradition of the patriarchal society stands out as a barrier for eradication of
this system. The conservative thoughts supplemented by superstition and its
linkage to God thus, creating a web that checks the process of minimizing the
severity of the system let alone eradicate it. Furthermore, poverty in the area
is 39.93 percent (CBS, 2005), which is one of the major causes that is directly
supplementing the casualty. Since people are poor, they cannot afford to have a
better place than the shed. Had it had been otherwise, advocating about better
places could have been an option but even then, it would still not be able to give
women mental and physical relief from the atrocity.
Regardless of all the setbacks to
eradicate Chhaupadi Pratha, with education and persistence in raising awareness
and with support from the entire stakeholder i.e. the people of the community,
NGOs, INGOs, government bodies, private sectors, pressure groups along with
strict enforcement of the existing laws; the dream of eradicating Chhaupadi
Pratha in the far western region of Nepal can be realized.
umm..seems like this research activity has shed light to a lot extent on this regard. Its worse than any other orthodox tradition and hence, needs to be discarded by every single individual be it a man or woman.
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