Chhaupadi tradition holds out against donor-funded onslaught

ACHHAM, April 7: A number of villages in Achham have already been declared "chhaupadi free" zone in the interest of several donor agencies. In course of the funded battle against the age-old tradition of keeping menstruating girls and women away from home, a lot of chhaupadi sheds were destroyed. Millions of rupees have been spent so far in the name of ending the tradition and over a dozen social organizations are still active in the district alone as the programs go on. However, the time, effort and money that went into the battle, locals say, have actually failed to pay off in any real sense.

"The programs were donor focused. Let's say, good reports are made to please donors. But if you talk about the reality, the approach has made no headway in uprooting the deep-seated belief among the people," remarked Nira Kadayat, a local from Sanfebagar municipality. "The problem has remained as it is. Girls and women still live in sheds during menstruation. Even those sheds destroyed earlier have been erected by the locals," she added.


Chhaupadi is an age-old tradition followed in several parts of the country that forces young girls and women into temporary isolation during their menstruation period.

As they are kept in poorly built sheds during, many of them develop health problems. The practice also makes them prone to sexual abuses and the mostly door-less sheds offers easy entry to wild animals and snakes further endangering their lives. Recognizing it as sort of crime against women, several government and non government bodies have been working to end the practice for years. But the efforts have simply fallen short of the requirement.

"What to do, our heart refuses part ways with our tradition," Kadayat quoted local women as saying. "That is what the women say. It is really challenging to change their mindset.

According to Prakash Kunwar of the same municipality, the campaigns against the tradition have not been very effective. "Many sheds have been rebuilt. The practice is widely prevalent in many villages that were declared chhaupadi free," he said.

Another local of the municipality Sharada Shah maintained that very few women have guts to challenge the deep-rooted belief regarding chhaupadi. "Menstruation is not taken as a natural process. Menstruating girls and women are seen as impure. Similar is the case with those who deliver babies. People fear that god would be angry if the tradition is not followed," she said. Shah, who is also a civil society leader, said that she has already started to live at homeduring her menstruation. "Very few have followed in my footsteps."

Chhaupadi Program Officer working under the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Gopi Singh Nepali informed that 16 VDCs and seven municipalities in the district have already been declared Chhaupadi-free areas.

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