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.
In 2012, I went to the
USA at first where the most of the Nepalese were following same practice during
menstruation including sending their daughters at neighbours or relative's
house during first menstruation. Among the non-Nepalese community, no one like
to engage direct and open discussion around menstruation including the
advertisement of menstrual pad with blue liquid in CNN. Likewise, in 2015, I
went to the UK, found that Nepalese community were doing same as like US and
Nepal and non-Nepalese people also could not discuss about it due to deep level
of stigma and taboo. The studies took place in 2018 by Plan UK declared that
the issues related with menstruation are more or less same in many ways.
Many reports often
mentioned that the menstrual restriction is old Hindu tradition. I also have
same understanding for many years. Indeed, its myth. The Muslim community in
Nepal, do not allow to touch any religious people and material, not allow to
pray during menstruation which is similar in other Muslim countries as well. In
Bangladesh, girls and women do not allow to eat banana, pineapple, coconut and
pickle during menstruation where majority of people represent Muslim. In public
life, the stigma is same either in Indonesia or Pakistan or anywhere. Likewise,
the Buddhist majority countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, China have also had
stigma and some forms of restrictions during menstruation. The various reports
showed that the restrictions during menstruation is practicing in other
religions as well such as Christianity, Jews too but neither visible nor
discuss as like in Nepal.
The menstruation is not
only side-lined in Nepal but also globally till 2014. Only few academia,
individuals and NGOs talked about menstruation. In 2014, human right council,
in UN office, Geneva, the water and sanitation unit recognized as a barrier for
gender inequality. Even the SDG did not spell the need and urgency of
menstruation except referring the girl friendly toilets under goal six. Because
of menstruation, this universe is existing and moving forward but no one dare
to bring forward as a priority human right concern. It remained as private and
women's issue here in Nepal and everywhere. Personally, I was threatened and
blamed in many ways here in Nepal and aboard due to speaking up about dignity
during menstruation. I wrote two books exclusively on dignified menstruation,
started to produce the re-usable cloth pad and bio degradable disposable
sanitary pad first time in Nepal as role model though never got support until
2017. Eventually, the ministry of Water Supply and Sanitation appointed me as a
core member for policy drafting though always remained in minority due to
speaking up the dignity during menstruation. The all elements such as health,
education, disaster, disability, empowerment, human right, water, sanitation,
products, waste have to go simultaneously and discussed by putting the dignity
at centre. Thus, I appealed for `menstrual talk, dignity first which is only
way to ensure the state of `dignified menstruation' in order to save our
daughters, grand daughters and entire planet.
In Nepal, because of the
intervention by external partners, the Chhaupadi is reported by
international media then national media without having deeper level of
understanding and analysis. The menstrual blood hold same level of
understanding across globe with diverse names as like in Nepal. As different
people called differently for good morning (Bonjure in French, Gorten Morgan in
German, Salam Alekham among Muslism), people called menstruation with various
names such as menses, red dot, pakha sareko (separated), panchhiyeko
(excluded), par sareko (going far), nachhune (contaminated), acchut
(untouchability), maharani bhayeko (become grand queen), panditini
bhayeko (become priest), minus etc.
The underlying cause of stigma, taboos and restriction is `impurity'
therefore the chhaupadi or menstrual restriction is everywhere existing in
Nepal and beyond with vary in ranges (visible vs Invisible, private vs public',
long list vs short list).
In this connection, if
anyone even use of the word Chhaupadi for west Nepal, it is affirmed for either
discrimination to people who live in west Nepal or have deep ignorance. It
should be menstrual practice in (positive form) or Menstrual Restriction
(negative form). The UN documents e.g. CEDAW shadow report also keep using the
word Chhaupadi under the traditional harmful practice. Due to having
menstruation among the half of the population globally, and some forms of
taboo/stigma and restrictions across globe, it should not account under harmful
practice. It should acknowledge as an inevitable, biological phenomena among
girls where each girl, women and individual (Transgender) deserved dignity
during menstruation.
Many media and NGO
worried and reported that the menstrual girls and women are staying in dirty
place and wearing dirty clothes in Nepal which is dangerous for their health.
With the reference from Nepal, the most of the people have not have facility to
take bath or change the cloth every day. They considered the menstrual blood
itself `impure' and `dirty' that is why they put the menstrual girl in shed and
wear the dirty or ragged clothes for menstrual days including hiding the blood.
In terms of cleanliness, there is no vast difference between shed and house
where the menstruate women live in separate shed or huts. Even the girls who
are living in fancy houses they occupied with the ragged clothes during period.
If they were using the clean cloths or clean houses or flat as like five-star
hotel, are the eligible to touch their young brothers or fathers or can enter
in to the kitchen or touch the refrigerator when they hungry or thirsty.
Cleanliness is important element but not guarantee the dignity.
I often wondering with
the campaign of Chhaupadi or menstrual cup or sanitary pad toilet or water
supply. I also thinking of them why they are not seriously analysed the
complexity of the menstruation. Because of practices around menstruation, girls
and women and entire planet facing the various issues every day at the
immediate and long-term level. Due to multifaceted complexity of menstruation,
these kinds of projects or activities are lagging behind as expected because
these activities are not associated with dignity or `menstrual talk, dignity
first'. By this piece, I can give guarantee that our work would further
sluggish if we won't cross the assumptions behind the menstrual restriction.
One of my friends who
joined from Italy, just recently shared that she uses the word `guest coming'
instead of having menstruation. Since 1947, Japan has leave for menstruation
but not using at all due to stigma. If we would have dialogue on menstruation and
its priorities, it would not be like that. More importantly, menstruation is an
entry point for all sexual and reproductive health issues or rights. If we were
discussed about menstruation openly and frankly, the entire planet could save
many girls and women from the preventable diseases and conditions related with
sexual and reproductive health. I often
confused with the groups of gynaecologist and obstetricians too. Even in Nepal,
they are organized and worked since 1989 but the menstruation is never become
an agenda for them.
To me, the menstruation
is the first and foremost feature in society where the power not only construct
but also shape between girl and boy. Eventually, the girl converted as victim
and boy converted as perpetrators. This is not the problem of neither girl or
boy but the problem of society which reinforce the restrictions, abuses,
discrimination related with menstruation. Because both girl and boy knew the
menstruation as a strong indicator for status of ` purity' vs impurity in
between 6-12 years from their mother, aunt, or any female members at home and
society. Since day one, mostly, girl considered herself as `powerless',
inferior' than boy where the boy consider himself as `powerful' `pure' and
`superior'. Girl socialize in way of
curse, no voice, no questions, no challenge, tolerable for all where as boys
socialize with just opposite directions. Later, they become addicted and do not
like change or status quo for the sake of family or culture etc.
Girl bleed for five days but
live with dehumanization and inferiority throughout the life because not having
knowledge that the menstruation is an inevitable natural phenomenon as like
beard for boys. In other hand, the boy lives with superiority and privileges
where keep violated the human rights at family, and community.
Because of deep level of
ignorance, silence and surrounded with varieties of stigma, taboo, restrictions
associated with menstruation where the interpersonal peace is destroying since
the girl knew about menstruation. The level of invisible conflict is increasing
when she experienced the first menstruation and suddenly change her status at
family. The tensions or conflict between herself and mother, or herself and
other family members are increasing but often remained as subsidence. It will
be the silence killer of confidence, self-esteem, dignity etc. of the girl.
Menstruation is a complex
and multifaceted phenomenon of this universe and simple truth of human
life. It is not simply the average 5 days of bleeding or approximately 7
years of bleeding. It is also not only one’s reproductive years; it is the
whole experience of human life. Thus, `Dignified Menstruation' is simply
a holistic approach or comprehensive approach to encompass menstruation and mitigate
discrimination against menstruation and the subsequent consequence. This
framework applies from the womb to the tomb and is not only limited to “women”
but to all individuals who menstruate, including transgender men as well as
individuals who do not menstruate, thus the whole planet. Therefore, `Dignified
Menstruation' is everyone's business. It is the way of perceiving menstruation
as a human rights issue and holding all of us accountable to eliminate
discrimination and assure dignity. Each individual deserve dignity during
menstruation where there is no form of any discrimination, abuses, stigma,
shame, restrictions or any form of harmful act during menstruation and
inevitably outside of menstruating days too. Simply, it is a form of no
differentiation between 25 days and 5 days in a month. It is the concept beyond
hygiene, menstrual products, and clean infrastructure where health, education,
water, sanitation, human rights, empowerment and environment have to
simultaneously intersect.
I concluded that the none
of the country in this globe is free from any kinds of abuse, discrimination, exploitation
at public and private life during menstruation. In many countries, the forms of
discrimination interpreted differently or activists, academia and actors never
considered the menstrual restrictions is an important underlying cause for the
power imbalance since childhood from family. Additionally, there is huge gap in
understanding violence of dignity or human right, destroy the intrapersonal and
interpersonal peace and pre condition for the SDGs.
