The harmful practice of chhaupadi, forcing women and girls to stay in isolated huts during menstruation, has once again turned deadly in Achham district. Two people lost their lives and one was injured early this morning when a stone from a cliff fell onto a menstrual hut where they were sleeping.
The victims have been identified as Nim Khanal, 35, of Panchadewal Binayak Municipality-8, and Kabita, a seven-year-old girl from Mangalsen Municipality-6. Both died on the spot. Kabita’s mother, who was also inside the hut, sustained injuries and has been rushed to a local health post for treatment, according to Deputy Superintendent of Police Om Prakash Khanal.
Despite being criminalized since 2005, the deeply entrenched practice of chhaupadi continues to claim lives in the western hills. Women and girls, often forced to spend nights in unsafe sheds or huts, remain exposed to risks of snakebites, suffocation, cold, assault, and in this case, a fatal landslide-like accident.
A police team led by Inspector Tek Bahadur Deuba has reached the site for investigation.
This tragedy underscores the urgent need for effective enforcement of the chhaupadi ban and stronger community awareness to end a practice that continues to endanger women and children in rural Nepal.
