Kathmandu, August 20:

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare and Save the Children, Norway, is working on a programme to combat the Chhaupadi system rampant in districts of the far western development region, the ministry has said.

Chhaupadi is a tradition where women and girls are ostracised during their menstrual period. According to the ministry, the programme will target three groups: schools, community healers and vulnerable groups.

Young and adolescent population as well as teachers will be educated to discourage the practice of Chhaupadi. Community healers who have influence over the community will also be made aware of the ills of the system and the vulnerable groups, adolescent girls will be helped directly to overcome the system and its side effects.

As part of the programme, advocacy and awareness programmes will be conducted to check the instances of the practice and as a curative step of the programme, legal provision and a penalty system will be introduced to discourage the practice, the ministry has said. Women and girls live in cow sheds for more than a week when they menstruate because they are considered impure during the time.