Knowra Chhaupadi Chhaupadi Chhaupadi is a practice in parts of Nepal that isolates menstruating women and girls from household life, often in huts or animal shelters, because menstruation is treated as impure.
Menstrual taboo : A social prohibition or stigma attached to menstruation and people who menstruate. The belief that menstruation is impure underpins the restrictions imposed during chhaupadi.
Menstrual stigma : Social disapproval and shame attached to menstruation and those who menstruate. Stigma can sustain secrecy and discrimination around chhaupadi.
Hinduism in Nepal : The diverse traditions and communities of Hinduism practiced in Nepal. Some local interpretations of religious purity inform menstrual restrictions, though practices vary widely.
Menstrual health education : Education about menstruation, bodily health, hygiene, and related social conditions. Accurate information can challenge myths used to justify menstrual restrictions.
Menstrual hut : A separate shelter used to house people during menstruation in communities that enforce menstrual seclusion. Huts are a prominent setting for the isolation associated with chhaupadi.
Maternal mortality : The death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or shortly after pregnancy ends. A death in a menstrual-seclusion hut drew attention to chhaupadi's potentially fatal conditions.
Ritual purity : A culturally defined state of cleanliness or sanctity associated with rules governing contact and conduct. Ideas of impurity during menstruation are often invoked to justify chhaupadi.
Community-led development : An approach to development in which local communities shape priorities and decisions. Locally led efforts can address the social pressures that laws alone may not change.
Menstrual hygiene management : Practices and resources for managing menstruation safely, hygienically, and with dignity. Seclusion can limit access to clean water, sanitation, supplies, and support.
Nepalese law : The body of laws enacted and applied in Nepal. Nepal criminalized forcing someone into chhaupadi, but enforcement remains a challenge.
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