Dhangadi: The Sudurpaschim Province government has initiated a comprehensive public awareness campaign targeting the harmful traditional practice of Chhaupadhi. This call to action was directed at all District Administration Offices and local levels within the province to combat Chhaupadhi and similar detrimental social customs.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the practice of Chhaupadhi involves isolating menstruating women and girls in an outdoor shed, known as the Chhaugoth, due to superstitions that their presence in the home during menstruation could anger family deities. In response to this harmful tradition, the Office of Chief Minister and Council of Ministers convened a meeting in Dhangadi, directing authorities across the province to launch a social awareness campaign against Chhaupadhi.
The recent death of a 28-year-old woman from Nigali in Krishnapur municipality-1, Kanchanpur district, after a snakebite while staying in a Chhaugoth, underscored the urgency of addressing this issue. The provincial government reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating Chhaugoth and other discriminatory practices like untouchability, recognizing them as societal blights.
To ensure effective implementation of government legislation to eliminate Chhaupadhi, provincial, district, and local level committees will hold regular meetings and monitor their areas. Despite Nepal criminalizing Chhaupadhi in 2017, the practice persists, affecting the lives of many women and girls.
The province government plans to enhance its efforts by raising awareness, dismantling Chhaugoths, and enforcing legislation against Chhaupadhi. The meeting also resolved to create annual action plans through the Ministry of Social Development to educate schools, communities, and religious organizations about all harmful practices and caste-based discrimination.
Earlier, the District Administration Office in Kanchanpur demanded the demolition of Chhaugoths across all nine local levels in the district. Similarly, Krishnapur municipality issued directives for the removal of Chhaugoths within 15 days, reflecting a growing regional commitment to ending this practice.