Menstruation is usually celebrated as an important stage in a girl’s life when she transitions into puberty and womanhood.
However, this normal bodily function isn’t seen as a healthy, normal process everywhere in the world. In remote villages in western Nepal, women are actually banished to “chhaupadi” huts for days during their menstruation cycles and right after giving birth. Why? Because they are seen as impure — so much so that they aren’t allowed to be anywhere near their families and cannot have any contact with men.
Not only does the traditional practice treat young girls and women cruelly, but it can also lead to their deaths. Unfortunately, a 15-year-old recently died during her exile in one of these small huts.
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On December 18, Roshani Tiruwa’s family found her lifeless body on the floor. The huts don’t protect the girls from cold weather, so police believe she suffocated while lighting a fire to keep herself warm.
#Chhaupadideath 15-yr-old dies in Chhaupadi shed | https://t.co/CohM6UP8TP pic.twitter.com/MjLfdI8g8V
— myRepública (@RepublicaNepal) December 19, 2016
Read More: Indian Government Has Been Conducting Medical Testing On Young Girls Without Consent
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