Original Link : http://www.astitwa.com/women-rights/12/32/shackles-of-the-chhaupadi-system-by-bidhya-chapagain.htm
Shackles of the Chhaupadi system | |
-Bidhya Chapagain | |
The practice of considering menstruating women as impure is derived from religious beliefs. Across Nepal, among the Hindu castes, there are practices of ostracizing girls when they have first menstruation. Such girls are kept in a separate room and away from the view of male members of the family. But this is limited to only the first time whereas in Chhaupadi system of western Nepal, the women have to undergo inhuman treatment every time they have menstruation and throughout their life. Thousands of women in western Nepal suffer health problems and risk dying an unnatural death during their menstrual cycle because of the inhuman practice. This tradition is Rampant in the mid-western and far-western regions of the country, It is a system that has been in use for hundreds of years in the far western region — especially in Baitadi, Doti, Darchula, Dadeldhura, Bajhang, Bajura and even in Kanchanpur and Kailali districts including some parts of mid-western region, the practice of isolation is known as Chhaupadi. It reduces a girl or a woman into a commodity and lowers her dignity. Chhaupadi is the word locally used for women’s menstrual period. “Chhaupadi” forces women in Hindu communities in the West of Nepal to spend seven days during menstruation in “exile” in a small cowshed or a special cottage called “Katero.” Belief has it that women during their menstruation period are not pure and therefore should not touch food, people, animals, and fruit trees and even to stay in their houses. They have to stay out in a tiny hut called a “Chhaupadi Goth”. The practice derives from the belief that gods and goddess become angry if any woman is allowed to sleep, sit, or stay in her home during her periods. If a menstruating woman, particularly an unmarried one, touches a man, he will fall ill. If anyone touches her, he or she needs to be purified by taking a bath and drinking cow's urine or they will become sick. Similarly, if she touches a tree it will not bear fruit and will soon dry, and if she touches a pregnant woman, the child will be miscarried or be born with malformations. The women have to stay away from temples and other holy places. It is also believed that if these women are given milk, the cow will stop producing milk. During this period, women are not allowed to take nutritious food; they are barred from consuming milk, yoghurt, butter and other nutritious food, and have to survive on dry foods and rice. They cannot use warm blankets and are allowed only a small rug. Many women have to prepare their food for themselves and stay in these unhealthy huts for a period of seven days. The women usually stay in the huts for four or five days, and, on the fifth day, they take a bath, wash their clothes, and return to their home. They enter their courtyard after they sprinkle cow urine and receive "tika," a holy red mark on their forehead symbolizing purification, from senior members of the family to allow them to resume their normal activities. Women are considered impure during the days when they menstruate and are barred from participating in normal family activities. They are not allowed to touch men and barred from entering even the courtyard of their homes. But this doesn't mean they are excused from work. In fact, they are compelled to engage in hard labor such as working in the fields, fetching firewood, washing clothes and so on. Tradition and religion propagates the practice and the older generations tend to enforce it. This system violates not only the right to health but also other general rights of women, particularly nursing mothers suffer from frail health because they are not allowed nutritious food. The cases of depression and mental trauma are also extensive. It is a complex phenomenon and there are several dimensions to it. It reduces a girl or a woman into humanness commodity and lowers her dignity. These days, many women groups and NGO's are taking the cause of opposing the chhaupadi system, which is a good thing which makes us optimistic about the elimination of the superstitious, discriminatory and inhuman tradition in the coming days. The role of the social workers and the politicians is crucial to abolish this practice by raising their voice against this harmful disease of the society. Government should enact laws addressing elimination of this practice. Likewise some policies and awareness raising programmes should be launched. The prime responsibility will be that of the women themselves. They must organize themselves to live a dignified life by standing against this sort of religious flaw, mental torture and social embarrassment. |
http://www.astitwa.com/women-rights/12/32/shackles-of-the-chhaupadi-system-by-bidhya-chapagain.htm