Kathmandu (AsiaNews) - Forced to give birth in barns, alongside animals, hundreds of women in the western districts of Nepal are putting their lives at risk, and often die in childbirth. In fact, in many of these villages, giving birth remains the main cause of death. And in the past few days, in Baitadi District alone, three young women died from complications during labour.
The village of Bicchiya Gumba, Bajura District, illustrates the situation. The residents, who are Buddhist, do not even know the word 'hospital', and rely on the local holy man for medical care.
Chhamu Thapa, 31, told AsiaNews how she had her child. "When it came time to give birth, they took me to a building close to home. I was terrified. My family had told the whole village. Many women came into the room and dragged me to the barn. They tied my hands and feet to a pole with a rope and started to push my belly. After hours of pain, my son was born. "
"We have never seen a hospital," she explained. "Our community prevents pregnant women from going there."
Thapa said that in the village everything is based on the ancient ancestral practices. "Women who give birth and their children must wait 13 days before they can leave the barn where they are alone and in the dark," she said.
"Past this period, a holy man enters the room spraying holy water to purify us. Only after this ritual can we go home."
Pemba Lama, a village elder, is surprised when asked about the hospital. "I do not know what you mean by hospital. We treat every ailment here in the village, and we do not need to go anywhere else".
"Every year, several people die in our village," he explained, "but only because the gods are angry with them."
As for pregnant women, Pemba Lama noted that "many of them are found dead in the barn, but that is because they probably committed a very serious sin."
For years, the Nepali government has tried to put a stop to traditional practices that cause serious harm to women's health.
Health Ministry spokesman Madhav Poudel said that his office "is doing its best, but resources are limited. Anyone mistreating a woman because she is considered untouchable is brought to justice and tried."
However, by his own admission, the law of silence rules in the villages and no one comes forward with complaints about such abuses.