Responses to Imono Tatsuro, a reporter of NHK, a public broadcaster in Japan
Hi Imono, please find my answers also attached file herewith.
Q1: I heard that the custom of menstruation huts remains in the Far West, Midwest, and Western Developing Regions of Nepal. Do you know how many Nepali women are currently forced to use menstruation huts? (It's not a specific number, but a number that feels like it's about this is fine)
Let me start from the menstrual practice in Nepal first. For greetings or good morning, you called Ohayou gozaimasu – おはよう ございます,English people called good morning, French called Bonjour, Nepali called Namaste and so on. As like this, in Nepal, there is a menstrual practice called Chhaupadi in a few districts of Sudur Paschim province, in Karnali province it is called Chhui or Pakha Sareko. Then when it goes towards eastern part of Nepal including Kathmandu it has various names for it such as bahir sarne, par sarne, panchhiyeko, panditni bhayeko, mait gayeko, damini bhayeko etc. I found 50 types of names which were 5000 in worldwide ref. https://www.stylist.co.uk/health/period-euphemisms-need-to-stop/744905?fbclid=IwAR3ixwwuiSuDyCMfSGUNBmBfVab1vM_yEoMDLibiWEM-nPeCG8PgC3M25WU
The bottom line principle is separation between the activities of 25 days and 5 days of menstruating days regardless of their calling. In all cases, they followed from more than 4 types of restrictions to 100 types of restrictions. Somewhere visible and somewhere not. Somewhere more restrict in public live and somewhere in private and somewhere restrict in both conditions. I have met the most elite families in Kathmandu where menstruating women and girls are excluded for 7 days either at neighbor house or neighbor or separate flat or room depending upon their economic context. I interviewed girls who were following exactly the same as like western Nepal. In this connection, I do not like to talk about chhaupadi because it is a layer of discrimination at the name of being far from Kathmandu. In June 2022 and Jan 2023, I had facilitated the 90+80 faith healers conference from far west Nepal and they also have same feeling that why do people called them chhaupadi instead of menstrual practice or menstrual discrimination which is practicing across the country with different names, forms and magnitude. Therefore, I strongly and humbly remind you, if you like to support women in Nepal and abroad please refer to the discriminatory menstrual practice or menstrual discrimination.
By considering my testimonies and background, at least 95 %[1] Nepalese communities have been following menstrual discriminatory practices regardless of their religion, region, caste, education etc. I was born in Chitwan, central southern part of Nepal where my three sisters and mother had followed exactly the same as women living in far west region.
Q2: Chhaupadi puts a physical and mental burden on women, but I was particularly shocked that menstruation huts can even kill women. I would like to interview people whose relatives actually died in menstruation huts. Has anyone actually lost their life in the area you are supporting?
Since December 2019, there have not been any killings in the name of discriminatory menstrual practices. The killing due to snake bite or suffocation is not only because of menstrual discriminatory practice. It’s because of the failure of government intervention for accessing health facilities or no transport. If not, why don’t Nepalgung or Siraha where the rate of snake bite is the highest rate in Nepal doesn’t have such deaths. You or me are not working even 10 years back? We are working in 2023 so we need to change our mindset and have to work for change the mindset to others e.g. policy makers. If there is a good facility of transport, telephone, electricity as in Nepalgunj and Siraha, the menstruating girls may not die in 2017. I have met two families right after death due to snake bite in 2017. The media manipulated the information for the sake of views and NGOs manipulated for the sake of securing funds. Sorry for honestly sharing.
I strongly believed that layers of restrictions and its impact is very serious. It has impacted by two ways; systemic where the discrimination applies throughout the life of them and symptomatic which applies during the menstruation and menopause.
Q3: Please tell us about the support that you provide for women who are suffering in menstruation huts.
I have been advocating dignified menstruation for the last 3 decades. I worked at various levels from local, national, regional and global level. I have done ranges of activities that are very difficult to describe here. Your questions and my answer seem a bit mismatched. If you agree with me, and if you are really interested in highlighting my work, I will tell you again. So let me know.
Q4: I hear that the government is trying to eliminate menstruation huts, but on the other hand, I also heard that women have to pass the time in unsanitary places because of the lack of huts. How do you feel about this situation?
Unsanitary is western definition. In the past (I know in few places where the interventions yet to reach, follow the menstrual discriminatory practice including huts). In many places across the country, their houses and menstrual huts are the same. Both structures are made from mud, wood, stone and without ventilation due to socialization or geography and economic status to some extent. I spent more than half of the time of my life (till now) and I have different thoughts.
I do agree, few people are still using huts without letting the government know or resisting the policies. It is due to i) government and NGOs yet to reach there with intensive programs, ii) they are a fundamental group and they may be associated with a political group who is demanding Hindu Kingdom instead of secular country Nepal.
If you interviewed with the women in Kathmandu, the majority of women do not have a water toilet. Even me, using the sharing toilet +bathroom, has a very limited water supply. Am I living with sanitary conditions? Of course not. This is my reality. I can’t afford the apartment which is fully furnished and sanitized as you perceived. I am a nurse and educated to know what it means. I strongly believe that if we guarantee for menstrual dignity that facilitates sanitized conditions a bit. This is not my emotional answer. This is the answer from my failures and mistakes in the past. I also have the same feeling and have been working for sanitized conditions for many years. That was my mistake indeed.
Request:
You are looking for the info for the 8th March 2023 for such popular media. Why don’t you challenge the serotyped understanding of menstrual practice in Nepal and beyond? Isn’t it high time to change? Thank you for understanding and looking forward to hearing your take.
Jann 21 2023, I received the following email:
Dear Radha Paudel,
Thank you for your kind reply.
After reading your e-mail, I felt that we should target menstrual habits nationwide, rather than focusing only on menstrual huts in some areas.
In that case, I feel that the current situation in which women who are isolated due to menstrual habits are deprived of educational opportunities is a problem that Japanese people should know first.
I will proceed with the research and reply to you again.
Thank you for your continued support.
Thank you,
Imono Tatsuro
Later, I shared this
Thank you, Ms. Paudel.
It helps me a lot.
I will continue to capture information.
Best regards,
Imono Tatsuro
