General Concerns Surrounding Menstruation in Nepal

Sriya Chadalavada

Chhaupadi, or the practice of women living in sheds while they are menstruating, is a Nepali practice that dates back centuries. Amnesty International Nepal considers Chhaupadi to be gender-based discrimination and violence. At a minimum, it means some school-age girls regularly miss eight weeks of school per year. At its most extreme, the practice has caused the deaths of women in rural areas across Nepal. Despite being banned by the Supreme Court of Nepal in 2005, the practice persists in some regions.

The issue is rooted in greater South Asian cultural beliefs that menstruating women can be “impure” and “inauspicious.” Although most prevalent in rural areas, even women in cities face isolation stemming from this ingrained tradition. From sitting at a separate table during meals to not being allowed to enter temples, women on their periods face restrictions . General taboos surrounding menstruation constrain discussion on the topic and hinder women from further knowledge and consideration about their reproductive health. To combat the societal pressures of being “unclean” and “impure,” women need to feel more informed and empowered to move and work while on their period.

Across most of the world, plastic sanitary napkins are often seen as the best option for women on their period; however, most are made out of approximately 90% plastic and can take 600 years to break down. In addition to the long-term negative impacts on the environment, disposable pads can spread disease. There is contamination risk from pads containing menstrual blood when they are thrown onto roadsides or into rivers. Women who cannot afford imported plastic napkins often resort to using old rags. These women are at higher risk for developing rashes, vaginal diseases, and Toxic Shock Syndrome. To foster the general well-being of both the environment and Nepali women, there is a need for increased access to safe and eco-friendly menstrual practices.

Current Efforts

There are numerous organizations working to improve conditions for this aspect of women's health. When we began working on the idea for the project we looked into Dharti Maata Sustainable Workshop, a successfully running women’s collective that produces eco-friendly reusable cotton pads. Other organizations are working to introduce menstrual cups to the region. This is a particularly difficult task as menstrual cups need to be boiled after every use, and using a communal pot or the kitchen to boil these cups is considered undesirable throughout the region.

Yet other efforts are focused on creating new feminine hygiene products. For example, Ashwin, a local expert we are working with, is very interested in the potential of using Water Hyacinth plants to create biodegradable eco-friendly pads. Pursuing such ideas are particularly important efforts because innovation in feminine hygiene products is generally pushed to the back-burner--even in the U.S. As these products are a necessity, companies selling them make steady revenue and are not economically incentivized to fund research on finding alternative, potentially better forms or using more eco-friendly materials.