Kathmandu, July 24:

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare has prepared the Chhaupadi Elimination Directives, 2064, which will be submitted to the Supreme Court soon.

The ministry prepared the document following the Supreme Court’s order on May 2, 2005 to identify the magnitude of the practice and come up with solutions to do away with the practice in nine districts of the far and mid-western development regions.

Adolescent girls and women of nine districts have to live in cowsheds from 5 to 15 days during menstruation.

Under such circumstances they are vulnerable to exploitation from strangers and deprived from proper food and shelter.

The ministry directives suggest organising awareness programmes targeting women and children and local leaders and also providing health check-up and nutrition facilities to abolish discrimination against women.

In its long-term plan, the ministry has suggested empowering women socially, economically and politically and ensuring women’s rights and setting up of an equitable society.

The document has also proposed setting up a 10-member district-level committee comprising representatives from the local authorities, NGOs and INGOs and VDC/municipality level committees to work to achieve the goals.