Nepal makes first arrest over ‘menstruation huts’ after woman dies


Team Udayavani, Dec 6, 2019, 4:22 PM IST

Kathmandu: Nepali police have detained the brother-in-law of a woman who died in a ‘menstruation hut’ in what is believed to be the first arrest over the outlawed tradition, officials said Friday.

Many communities in Nepal view menstruating women as impure and in some remote areas they are forced to sleep in a hut away from the home, following a centuries-old tradition known as “chhaupadi”.

The practice leads to the death of women every year due to smoke inhalation, snake bites and even attack by animals.

Parbati Buda Rawat, 21, was found dead on Sunday morning in the western Accham district in a smoke-filled hut because of a fire she had lit to keep warm.

“We arrested the brother-in law of the victim yesterday for investigation after suspecting his involvement in forcing the deceased to stay in chhaupadi shed,” local police official Janak Bahadur Shahi told AFP.

“I believe this is the first arrest in such a case.” If convicted, the man will serve a three-month jail sentence and be fined 3,000 rupees (USD 27) under a law introduced last year against anyone caught imposing chhaupadi.

“It is positive to see the police act proactively and it will help discourage people from following the tradition. But there is a long way to go to end it,” said Radha Poudel, an activist working against chhaupadi.

Rawat’s death is at least the third this year. Two more women have died of smoke inhalation in menstruation huts in neighbouring districts.

However, Poudel said that many deaths go unreported and authorities often sympathise with family members in reported cases.

Chhaupadi was outlawed in 2005 but is still enforced in parts of Nepal, particularly in remote and conservative western regions. It is linked to Hinduism and considers women untouchable during menstruation and after childbirth.

Women are banished from the home, barred from touching food, religious icons, cattle and men, and forced to sleep in basic huts known as chhau goth.

Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.

Top News

We will meet when you get better, Kapil Dev tells an emotional Vinod Kambli

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar takes oath as Kerala Governor

Ullal: Headmaster earns praise for comforting student after family tragedy

40 years after Bhopal gas disaster, toxic waste leaves Union Carbide factory for disposal

45 injured after bus rams into two trucks on Delhi-Mumbai Expressway in Rajasthan’s Dausa

PM Modi lauds Maha govt’s efforts for all-round development in Maoist-affected areas

Udupi: Guru Vandana program for Palimaru Matha seer to be held on January 4

Related Articles More

Terror strikes New Orleans: 15 killed in French Quarter rampage

No one can ever stop Taiwan’s reunification with China, says President Xi in his New Year message

Elon Musk softens stand on H-1B visa programme, calls for ‘major reforms’

Bangladesh’s interim govt to announce ‘proclamation of July uprising’

Former US President Jimmy Carter, after whom an Indian village was named, passes away at 100

MUST WATCH

Tulunadu Daivaradane

Feeding Birds with Creative Paddy Art!

Areca Nut

HOTEL SRI DURGA BHAVANA

Harish Poonja


Latest Additions

We will meet when you get better, Kapil Dev tells an emotional Vinod Kambli

Hassan: Woman stabs boyfriend over fallout in relationship

Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar takes oath as Kerala Governor

India’s manufacturing growth hits 12-month low in Dec amid softer rise in output, new orders

Ullal: Headmaster earns praise for comforting student after family tragedy

Thanks for visiting Udayavani

You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.