Menstruation is taking away self-esteem and nutrition

Male family members could not be seen during menstruation. It was forbidden to pray, go to the temple, and eat milk. A separate stream should have been used. From the second time, he was taken to the barn for a week. Sleeping on the cold floor of the barn felt cold.

Having learned to sing Deuda from a young age, she moved to Kathmandu looking for a future in singing, and escaped from the hassle of having to live in a neighborhood for months. It became even easier after he married into a tribal family in Dhading from Khaptad Chededah in Bajura. There are no restrictions such as not to eat, not to eat, not to touch during menstruation at home. The trend towards

Maiti has not gone away yet. In an event organized in Kathmandu regarding menstruation on Saturday, Anubhav Santei said, "Even though I know that it is a superstition, I have to do it for the sake of the society and the family. Now, like before, I don't have to go to the house, I have to sleep separately on the ground floor of the house. A separate stream should be used. Do not eat milk curd. Pujapath, temple cannot be visited.

Last time this month she reached Maiti after six years. She was nearing her period. Before, she could not give a strong rebuttal, she had to be restrained anyway. However, she was not dumbfounded by the tradition that was still rooted. Maiti shortened her stay and returned to Kathmandu.

'I have to stay for five days, even after six years I came back saying that I would rather stay apart,' she said , it is believed that a woman who is menstruating will cut if she touches it. But when she comes to Kathmandu, Shobha always cooks and feeds, cuts and does not get sick.

As in the Maiti village of Sobha, in the Far West and Karnali region, discrimination and restrictions such as having to live separately from the main house during menstruation are still alive in the form of Chhaupadi custom. The 'Regional Crime Code 2074', implemented from 1st August 2075, has considered the practice of stalking prevalent in the homes of Far West and Karnali as a criminal offence.

According to the fact that girls and women are dying prematurely due to the practice of chaupdi, the government also implemented the 'Directory for the Elimination of Chaupadi Practice' for the first time in 2006. Research by Kantipur correspondents has shown that since 1964, the then District Development Committees, Villages, Municipalities, Non-Governmental and International Non-Governmental Organizations, Donors have spent more than 1 billion rupees in the name of Chhaupadi eradication. However, it is mentioned in the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 that 26 percent in Karnali Province and 20 percent in Sudurpaschim Province follow chau practice.

40 types of bans in the name of menstruation According to the material about menstruation prepared by

Kidark Nepal, menstruation is defined as having a special period, touching, touching, not touching, outside. Menstruation normally begins within 10 to 15 years and lasts for 45 to 50 years. The cessation of menstruation is called menopause. According to the World Health Organization, women generally cannot become pregnant after menopause.

The study of the National Menstruation Network shows that even though they are not allowed to live in cowsheds like in West Nepal, women across the country are not allowed to worship, not go to temples, not allowed to look at the sun, not allowed to look at men, etc. when they are menstruating. The

network has more than 75 affiliations with United Nations federal and government agencies, non-governmental and international non-governmental organizations, civil society, universities, private sector, and artists. It has been doing decent menstruation, menstrual health public awareness work and policy advocacy.

Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 According to this, during menstruation, 65 percent of women are prevented from going to the temple and participating in religious activities. One-third of women, i.e. 34 out of 100, are prevented from touching or cooking food.

According to experts, when such wrong traditions are alive, women have to endure inhumane treatment during menstruation. Menstruation of women adds challenges to health and nutrition. "Regular menstruation means that a woman's uterus and sexual organs are completely healthy, it means that fertility (childbearing) has been developed," Gynecology and Obstetrician Dr. Kritipal Subedi says, "Because blood comes out through the vagina during menstruation, it is associated with health, nutrition and care. If it is not properly cleaned, then there will be diseases of the cervix or other infectious diseases in the genitals, itching allergies." , he said that due to discriminatory treatment, physical and mental health problems will appear in women one after the other. "Once a woman's period, 100 ml of blood flows from her body, if there is no basis (nutritious diet) to fulfill this, there is a risk of health complications," added Subedi, a specialist in obstetrics and gynecology.

If proper hygiene is not done during menstruation, there is a risk of infectious diseases in the urinary tract and sexual organs. If you don't eat nutritious food, fish, fruits, milk, green vegetables, health complications will come. Subedi said that hemoglobin decreases due to excessive bleeding, some people need blood transfusions when they arrive at health institutions late, infections are occurring and even kidney infections are seen.

Free pads did not stop schoolgirls' absenteeism

Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2022 According to this, 39 percent of women across the country are not able to bathe during menstruation and change their menstrual materials including pads in a safe and private place. 54 percent of the women of Karnali province are dealing with this misery.

According to Radha Paudel, a respected menstrual activist, there are 9 types of menstrual materials in Nepal and 10 in foreign countries. According to a study conducted with women and teenagers in the age group of 15 to 49 years in Nepal, women use cotton cloth, reusable pads and sanitary pads available in the market, tampons, menstrual cups, cotton cloths and other menstrual cleaning materials. Pads should be changed every 4 to 6 hours. For this, you have to use the toilet at home and school. Due to the lack of management and disposal of

pads, the distribution of free pads in schools has not prevented the absence of female students. It has been five years since the government started distributing free sanitary pads to girl students of community schools. However, there is no water in the toilets of the school and the windows and doors of the toilets are broken, so it is difficult to manage and dispose of the pads.

pads should not be placed in a dustbin. Pads that are distributed free of charge are found to be of poor quality such as short length, non-bleeding, low absorption. Because of this discomfort, 15 to 22 percent of public school girls drop out of school during menstruation, according to the report of the Beyond Beijing Committee organization, "Sanitary Pad Discharge Practice 2022". Six public schools in Bajura, Kavre and Morang were studied for the report.

In low-income countries like Nepal, there is a custom of using old clothes by making tala during menstruation. The government distributes free sanitary pads to community school girls and other girls and women also choose pads. Paudel, a decent menstrual worker, says that if you do not pay attention to proper disposal in time, the environment will be dirty and polluted with the pads you throw away.

'In Nepal, 70 organizations make pads, choosing to use them is a matter of safety, identity and self-esteem of the customer,' she said, emphasizing the environmental impact, 'If those materials made of plastic and chemicals are burned, they are released into the air, spilled into soil and water, and thrown away. It affects the forest and agriculture, it is necessary to pay attention to how to destroy or reuse.'

'Menstruation friendly global handshake'

National Menstruation Network is organizing 'International Menstrual Health Day' as in the past. On this day of May 28, the day is going to be celebrated with the slogan 'Menstruation friendly global handshake'. With the presence of more than 400 people on the day, there are plans to hold a bicycle rally in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur.

There is a program to organize a panel discussion on menstrual health in Kathmandu, to publicize the menstrual network of singers and awareness materials. It has been a decade since May 28 was celebrated as Menstruation Day in the world. Gunaraj Shrestha, coordinator of the network which started in Nepal in 2018, said.

Gynecology and obstetrics specialist Subedi suggests that awareness programs should focus on children. There is a difference in thinking and understanding between the generation that used to menstruate for the first time in 15/16 years and now menstruates quickly.

'Since the 11-year-old girl is menstruating, why can't I sit and eat with my father today, we have to discuss the effect on the child's brain of not touching the father,' said Subedi, 'no matter how much we try to explain, her child's brain thinks that I have to stay away from family members because I am menstruating.

Deuda singer Shobha suggests that awareness activities should be focused on the villages as the need to stay apart during menstruation increases the distance between the youth and the family. "It was not done by raising awareness in Kathmandu, it was not done by holding a conference in a hotel," she says.