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'They become like untouchables'

A teenage girl in Nepal died when she suffocated in a poorly ventilated shed. She'd lit a fire to keep warm. Under the ancient Hindu practice of chhaupadi, women who have their periods or who have just given birth are sent away from the main household. Rupa Joshi, communications officer with UNICEF in Kathmandu, explains how widespread the practice is.

(Image: File photo of a hut used by a teenage girl so that she can menstruate in isolation in the village of Achham Credit: AFP)

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2 minutes