Two Opportunities for Nepal Government: Dignified Menstruation or Chhaupadi

नेपाल सरकारलाई दुइ अवसर: मर्यादित महिनाबारी कि छाउपडी

गत महिना प्रदेश सातको कार्यक्रममा एकजना नगरपालिका प्रमुखलाई चित्त दुख्यो `जब मैले नेपाल सगरमाथा र बुद्ध जन्मेको देश हैन छोरीहरु महिनाबारी हुदा छुट्टाउने, विभेद गर्ने देश हो भनेर चिनिएको छ भने' |  चित्त त मेरो पनि दुखेको छ, बिदेशी भूमिमा त्यो पनि एक्कैछिन एरपोर्टमा भेटिएको विदेशीले प्याच्च सोध्या कति चित्त दुख्योहोला | फेरी बास्तबिकता पनि हो | विधुतीय  संचारको जमानामा लुकाउन के नै सकिन्छ र ?

Dignified Menstruation Day, Dec 8, 2019

This is speech is delivered during the Dec 8, Dignified Menstruation Day ever first globally in front of the Ministers of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Vice-Prime Minister and many distinguished delegates from government of Nepal and CSOs at National City Hall, Kathmandu. 

This speech dedicated to all girls and women who were and are suffering from death, abuses, discrimination due to menstruation in Nepal and globally. 

The Menstrual Campaign Misinterpreted in Nepal and Beyond

I learned the word of `Chhaupadi' when I was reviewing the documents for my thesis for Bachelor of Community Health Nursing, 1998. It composes with two words; `Chhau' (blood) and `Padi' (shed). It is very common word in west Nepal exchangeable use with the words of `Chhui' or `Chhui Pratha'. The blood considered as `impure' no matter whether it is from childbirth or menstruation. Because of the government's priority program of Safe Motherhood Program, Chhaupadi during childbirth is getting unpopular whereas the Chhaupadi during menstruation remained untouched for many years and getting global attention since beginning of the Millennium Development Goals in many ways. My experiences/studies confirmed that the more than forty types of restrictions related with touch, eat, mobility/participation exactly same in Chitwan, Lamjung, Kathmandu and West Nepal but more visible in west Nepal. The reason behind the following restrictions during menstruation is also same that is `impurity' and it is transferred from generation to generation without any dialogue as among of my three senior sisters. I would call `deep level of ignorance' and `silence' around menstruation. Around 1980, I not only observed the more than forty types of restrictions but also observed my three sisters at neighbour's shed for 21 days, 15 days and 11 days during their first three periods in Chitwan.