Chaupadi is a tradition observed in parts of Nepal, which cuts women off from the rest of society when they are menstruating. Women who practice Chaupadi sleep in sheds or outbuildings while they are on their period, often with little protection from the elements. According to a United Nations field bulletin, the women are not allowed to enter houses or temples, use normal public water sources, take part in festivals or touch others during their menstruation.
Isolated in sheds that are frequently rickety and unhygienic, there are cases of women dying from illness, exposure, animal attacks or from fires lit in poorly ventilated spaces.
Chaupadi was banned by Nepal's Supreme Court in 2005, but it is still common in the country's far and mid-western regions.
