Himalayan News Service

Dhangadhi, February 17

At the time when the world has realised that inequality between men and women is the greatest hindrance to development, many villages in Nepal still observe practices which consider women as inferior sex. Women are treated as second citizens just because of their biological systems.

Women in Kolmuda, Olani, Bandrekhal and Chaukegaun areas of Malakheti and Godawari VDCS have to live in dirty, ill ventilated sheds during their menstruation periods because people here believe that living in homes during such periods would make gods angry and that it would cast evil spells over the cattle rendering them infertile.

One can find small dirty sheds near every houses in the region where women live during their menstrual periods.

Now a menopause Durga Devi Badaula, 65, of Kolmuda, said she spent all her menstruating days in the shabby sheds and added, "Our God would will be angry if we stay in our homes during those days. Moreover, we must follow the rules made by our ancestors."

Elderly Badaula added that the sheds are made near the homes in Terai region while in hilly regions they are made near cowsheds.

Locals said that the menstruating women do not participate in any festivities or religious functions because they are considered to be impure. These women are forbidden from touching or milking cattle. However, with increasing educational status people have begun accepting menstruation as a biological activity and say that women must be let to live in their homes during this time. But fearing social exclusion people here have not dared to violate this practice.

"This is mere superstition and it is very inhumane to adhere by this nonsense rule," said one Ishwari Datta Bhandari, a local of Kolmuda village.