The tradition practiced mostly in the far-western region forces women and girls to live in sheds, mostly in a secluded place away from the human habit, during their menstruation period, thereby exposing them to physical and mental ailments, sexual assaults, risk of snake bites and attacks by wild animals among other risks. [break]
Following a Supreme Court order on May 2, 2005, the government had issued a directive to put an end to the Chaupadi tradition.
The government´s directive which called immediate and the long-term programs to abolish the social ill haven´t quite been launched in the district so far.
The effort to end the ill tradition came to grinding halt after the Chief District Officer Hari Pyakurel, who was about to start the campaign to burn all the chaupadi sheds in the district, was transferred shortly.
When asked why was now stopping the local administration to enforce the directive, the incumbent Chief District Officer, Bishnu Bahadur Thapa, simply said he is yet to study the order.
Apart from the negative impact of the ill tradition on the physical and mental health of the victims, it has also been affecting girls´ education as they are barred from school during the periods.
The tradition still has such a strong hold in the region that even some women rights activists fear that their clan deities might curse their families if they stay home during their menstrual periods.
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