Chhaupadi (Nepali: छाउपडी [t͡sʰau̯pʌɽi] ) is a form of menstrual taboo which prohibits women and girls from participating in normal family activities while menstruating, as they are considered "impure". Chhaupadi is said to be practiced primarily in the western part of Nepal, but the same is true for city dwellers also. It is practiced all over the country with different names and practiced in different ways.
During chhaupadi, women are banned from the house and are made to live in a cattle shed (mainly in the western region of the country), or a makeshift dwelling known as a menstruation hut, for the duration of their period. Childbirth in Nepal also results in a similar form of confinement. During menstruation, women and girls are restricted from participating in everyday life events and from interacting with their communities.[1]
- ^ Ghimire, Laxmi (May 2005). "Unclean & Unseen" (PDF). Student BMJ. 330: 0505206. doi:10.1136/sbmj.0505206. S2CID 220092216. Retrieved December 3, 2008.[permanent dead link]