Sunita is a 16-year-old girl living in Karnali province, western Nepal. Like other female local residents, she has to spend several days every month in a hut outside of her home, because, in many parts of Nepal, menstruation is seen as a time of impurity.

During their periods, women must remain outside their house and they are not allowed to cook or touch drinking water. The generations-old tradition is known as chhaupadi.

Apart from cold winters, huts offer no protection from predators. Many women ended up being raped, suffered from snake bites, or died of smoke inhalations in their sleep after burning wood in order to stay warm in the shabby huts in winter. 

Even though outlawed since 2017, chhaupadi is still widely practiced in many rural areas. Eliminating the practice is an uphill battle, according to women activists.

Speaking to CGTN, Renu Sijapati from the Federation of Dalit Women said: "Until and unless we change our social and religious leaders, it will be difficult to stop the practice. In many places, these leaders create pressure to continue the practice."