Menstruation isolation still prevalent in Dailekh

BY KAMAL SHARMA,Dailekh, Jan. 20: Chhaupadi, a form of menstrual taboo under which menstruating women and girls are considered ‘impure’ and are forced to stay in isolated huts or sheds, is still being practiced in the Dailekh district of the Karnali Province.

Although local governments have launched programmes to eliminate the practice, it has not been effective, resulting in the death of several girls who were staying in chhau goths.

On July 6, 2018, 23-year-old Tulsi Shahi of Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality-6 died after being bitten by a snake while staying in a chhau goth. 

Earlier, on May 22, 2018, Lal Sara BK, who was also staying in a chhau goth, was bitten by a snake and died after not receiving timely treatment.

Maya Kumari Singh, the head of the Women, Children and Senior Citizens section of Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality, stated that the local government has not allocated sufficient budget to eliminate such harmful practices. She informed that the municipality allocated only Rs. 500,000 in the current fiscal year, and all programmes related to women, children and senior citizens are being conducted within that budget. 

She added that awareness programmes have been conducted in three wards regarding gender violence, child marriage and domestic violence, but no separate programme specifically addressing chhaupadi was held.

Similarly, the Aathbiskot Municipality in the district has not implemented necessary policies or programmes to eradicate the chhaupadi practice. Employees in the municipality have said that even in areas where the practice is prevalent, there is insufficient budget to run effective programmes. 

Ritu Shahi, the head of the Women, Children and Senior Citizens section of Aathbiskot Municipality, said that the local government has not been able to implement necessary policies and programmes to reduce or eliminate chhaupadi. She said that only Rs. 200,000 was allocated for the programmes, which was limited to raising awareness campaigns. 

Aathbiskot Municipality Mayor Tarka Bahadur Badwal said that the municipality had only conducted awareness programmes to date. He said that although the practice of chhaupadi is recognised as a social evil, it is not possible to visit every household to demolish chhau goths and there is an insufficient budget for such initiatives.

Manisha Sharma, the deputy mayor of Chamunda Bindrasaini Municipality, said that the chhaupadi practice had decreased compared to the past. She said that every household used to have a chhau goth in the past, but now there were only a few remaining. However, she also said that while many social development programmes were being held, the issue had not been effectively publicised. 

Local governance expert Dipesh Ghimire pointed out that the local government has focused too much on infrastructure development and neglected social development programmes. He said that even elected representatives continue the practice of sending women to chhaupadi, making it difficult to eliminate the practice. 

Although the federal government had launched an initiative four years ago under the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens to dismantle chhau goths in 19 districts, the practice still persists in Dailekh. Even though the local government had decided not to provide services to those practicing chhaupadi, during election times, politicians compromise to gain votes, which has hindered progress in eliminating this harmful tradition. Local authorities have largely relied on non-governmental organisations for efforts to reduce the practice.