Chhaupadi and the damn poverty

The word 'Chhaupadi' is a broken word of a full word 'Chhaupadi-Goth'. Now, by the 'grace' of some 'high-level experts', Chhaupadi has become an independent word meaning menstruation.

(Chhau = Untouchability, Padi = to Sleep, Goth = Hut)

The Chhaupadi is the 'place' where she sleeps during the period. It's not the menstruation itself, neither any stigma/discrimination attached with nor other practices during. So when we talk about Chhaupadi we should not be confused with menstruation as most of people do, even the 'experts'.

If we go by this way, we can distinguish between the practice of Chhaupadi in western Nepal and advance cities. Most of practices during menstruation are similar, if not the same, in Hindu Nepalese (except in some ethnic groups even in Hindus). Not only in west Nepal, the concept of impurity is the same elsewhere. She cannot touch the food and water, cannot cook for others and cannot sleep with family members even with her husband. (In advance cities or families some compromises can be witnessed but-with-feeling, not-without.) But the place where they sleep differs.

Sleeping in isolation is almost common. As far the question of sleeping place, it depends on the level of prosperity of family. In west Nepal, very few people have more rooms in a house for such isolation. That's why the poor people have a practice of common isolated sleeping place for the women/girls in period. That is called Chhaupadi Goth, 'the sleeping huts during isolation period'. Later on, it became the common practice and many superstitious logic attached with. It is not the case in advanced families and cities where people have more rooms to sleep isolated (or people cannot afford more money to rent more rooms). 

It's not the foolish people of west Nepal, but the damn poverty that creates such discriminating and stigmatizing practices. If we are seriously worried about the issue and concerned with women dignity, we should think to push poverty out at first. Lowering the family-poverty can increase the number of rooms inside the houses of people and the level of education side-by-side. This is the way we can reduce the number of Chhaupadi Goths, the risk attached with and superstitious beliefs. To end the all malpractices and beliefs attached with menstruation will be the second, third level of steps.