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CountAllVotes

(21,068 posts)
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 08:44 AM Apr 2017

Banished for bleeding: The women forced to move out of home when they have their periods

The landscape of Nepal is a geographical staircase, descending from snow-capped Himalayan mountains, through steep middle hills, to the lush flat plains of the south.

In the middle step, in the remote far west of the country, life has changed little over the decades.

For 18-year-old Ishwari Joshi, this means doing as her mother and grandmother did before her and leaving her home when she has her period.

The practice is called “chhaupadi” - a name for menstruation which also conveys the meaning that a woman is unclean when she is bleeding.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/banished_for_bleeding

10 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Banished for bleeding: The women forced to move out of home when they have their periods (Original Post) CountAllVotes Apr 2017 OP
Stone Age thinking shenmue Apr 2017 #1
Millions of women died so this could be the WhiteTara Apr 2017 #5
Straight from Leviticus yodermon Apr 2017 #2
older than that Kali Apr 2017 #3
Yes, many Native American tribes practiced this as well. CanonRay Apr 2017 #4
my mother was Indian CountAllVotes Apr 2017 #8
Excellent article. wcast Apr 2017 #6
big secret indeed CountAllVotes Apr 2017 #7
My entire 'woman talk' was my mother handing me a Kotex flyer about menstration angstlessk Apr 2017 #9
Same here CountAllVotes Apr 2017 #10

WhiteTara

(30,166 posts)
5. Millions of women died so this could be the
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 10:13 AM
Apr 2017

way of societies. When we became a patriarchal world, all things that give life were denigrated and demoted. Now the patriarchy is working to finish off the very planet that gives us all life.

Kali

(55,739 posts)
3. older than that
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 09:13 AM
Apr 2017

and many cultures practiced the women's hut.

it isn't just about shunning the "unclean" - I can see benefits as well, such as a few days of peace and relaxing from work, bonding with other women, etc.

CountAllVotes

(21,068 posts)
8. my mother was Indian
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 10:28 AM
Apr 2017

She had a lot of "rules" around women and menstruating women in her beliefs.

Many of them seemed strange to me but luckily there was no hut in the backyard with barely room for three persons to live in for a week or more. It rained a lot in the cold winter time, I remember that much.

A bed with clean sheets on it with a couple of blankets on it would be highly preferable one should think.

wcast

(595 posts)
6. Excellent article.
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 10:13 AM
Apr 2017

This explores an issue that needs more open discussion. I thought the quote of telling women "there is power in your blood" it's the gift of life is awesome. I remember as a boy going to my grandmother's with my sister. My mom said dont look in the paper bag my sister had. Of course I looked and saw sanitary pads. I never knew she had a period, would never had known if my mom hadn't said that. It's an issue we never talked about. This was 35 years ago.

CountAllVotes

(21,068 posts)
7. big secret indeed
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 10:25 AM
Apr 2017

I had a brother younger than myself. He was likely what is today called "autistic".

Curious boy that he was found some tampons in Mother's closet while snooping around. He had the box in his hand and he asked me why did she have cigarettes in her closet hidden away like that.

I remember telling him I did not know and I grabbed the box from his hand and put it back in the closet where it was hidden.

Sad in hindsight. This was in the late 1960s - early 1970s best I can remember.

Catholic families ... yep.



angstlessk

(11,862 posts)
9. My entire 'woman talk' was my mother handing me a Kotex flyer about menstration
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 11:14 AM
Apr 2017

without a word that I recall.

Of course that was the early 60's...before women's liberation movement

CountAllVotes

(21,068 posts)
10. Same here
Sat Apr 29, 2017, 09:18 PM
Apr 2017

No words about anything re: sex. Was asked if anyone said anything about it age the age of 11 and I lied and said no.

Great fun it was not before women's liberation and that thing called THE PILL.



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