Beyond the Menstrual Shed: Exploring Caste/Ethnic and Religious Complexities of Menstrual Practices in Far-West Nepal

Abstract

Throughout Nepal, women and girls follow a range of menstrual practices, many of which leave them vulnerable to negative health outcomes. We applied a participatory visual research method called Collaborative Filmmaking to acquire a nuanced and sensory understanding of menstrual practices and motivations in Kanchanpur, Nepal. The study also provides insight regarding menstrual practice complexities across different castes/ethnicities and religions. Results show an array of menstrual practices related to cleansing, cooking, touching, worshipping, and sleeping. Participants’ menstrual practices varied by caste/ethnic and religious background and were motivated by religious and spiritual beliefs, family tradition, negative consequences, and social pressure.

Keywords:

• Nepal
• menstruation
• chhaupadi
• caste/ethnicity
• visual methods
• collaborative methods
• participatory research

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the courage and commitment of the seven adolescent participants who shared their lives with us. Their participation and passion were key to generating critical knowledge about menstrual practices and motivations and Nepal, and we are truly thankful that they opened their lives and trusted us with their stories. We also acknowledge the valuable contributions to this research study and manuscript provided by Drs. Shalini Ayyagari and Muge Finkel.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The tarai refers to the southern, lowland region of Nepal, which runs parallel to the Himalayas along the border of India and Nepal and is known for being relatively flat and fertile.

2 Under the government structure in place at the time of data collection, a Village Development Committee (VDC) was the village-level local government body that functioned as an administrative unit under the Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development (Inlogos, 2009). Under federalism, this structure has been replaced by “municipalities” and “village councils” (gaunpalikas) (Pradhan, 2017).

3 The SHOWED Method involves asking a series of five questions: 1) What do you See here?, 2) What is really Happening here?, 3) How does this relate to Our lives?, 4) Why does this condition Exist?, and 5) What can we Do about it?

4 Religious festival of lights