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Chhaupadi: The Nepalese ritual that shuns menstruating women

In the Bajhang district of western Nepal, centuries-old taboos about menstruation still affect the lives of girls and women. Menstruating females are believed to be impure, and are required to stay away from their families overnight in small huts.

This practice, known as chhaupadi, has been illegal in Nepal since 2005, but the law is hard to enforce in the face of tradition. Two young Nepali women travel from Khatmandu to far-western Nepal to find out why chhaupadi’s hold is still so strong there.

Photo: Dhamilekh Ishwari and her mother, Nepal Credit: Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ

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5 minutes

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