The second sex

cal cycle has been stigmatised as impure, and women are essentially locked up for a few days every month.

The age-old custom continues unchecked despite the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in 2005 declaring it to be a malpractice, followed by the Chhaupadi Pratha Elimination Directive of 2008. But it is clear that neither the ruling nor the directive has been adequately enforced.

Nepal may be signatory to the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, but declarations alone are not sufficient to effect change, particularly change that entails doing away with a long-held tradition supported by all those around you and seemingly sanctioned by religion.

A survey by Action Works Nepal and Bheri Environmental Excellence has made a disturbing revelation: Sixty percent of the people in the Karnali region remain unaware that the practice of Chhaupadi is illegal. The survey, conducted in 21 villages, also revealed that 27.9 percent women live in Chhau huts, 36.6 percent in cow sheds and 91.4 percent do not enter their kitchens during menstruation.

The impact of Chhaupadi is devastating for women. They are confined to dark and small rooms without nutritious food or adequate protection from the elements. There are countless cases of women being raped, killed by wild animals, bitten by snakes or succumbing to cold while observing Chhaupadi. Despite these obvious vulnerabilities,