Debt-ceiling negotiations spared cuts to mandatory spending like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security even though these programs cost more than discretionary spending. 

Debt-ceiling negotiations spared cuts to mandatory spending like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security even though these programs cost more than discretionary spending. 

American flag waves untouched after Mosquito Fire ravaged the Michigan Bluff neighborhood of Foresthill, in Placer County, California, U.S., September 7, 2022. REUTERS/Fred Greaves 

A china cabinet stands untouched inside the home of Janet Kimp, 66, after a devastating outbreak of tornadoes ripped through several U.S. states, in Mayfield, Kentucky, U.S., December 11, 2021. REUTERS/Cheney Orr REFILE - CORRECTING LOCATION 

Urinals are filled with volcanic ash in a closed park in Tagaytay City, Philippines, January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez 

A speak, see and hear no evil from statue remains untouched in the garden of Cobargo resident Belinda Shea’s destroyed home in Cobargo, Australia January 6, 2020. REUTERS/Tracey Nearmy 

Family members from The Untouchables fraternity who organised preste celebrations, stand in the street with gifts they received from guests in La Paz, Bolivia November 20, 2016. REUTERS/Manuel Seoane SEARCH "AYMARA ELECTIONS" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. 

Anti-government protesters, including one in a Guy Fawkes mask, mill around outside the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong garrison headquarters in Hong Kong's Admiralty district, China September 28, 2019. According to a Reuters witness, the Hong Kong government headquarters next door was pelted with bricks and petrol bombs but the PLA base was left virtually untouched by the protesters. Picture taken September 28, 2019. REUTERS/James Pomfret To match Special Report CHINA-ARMY/HONGKONG 

A supporter of a right-wing League party displays the statue of Virgin Mary and a banner reading "Our traditions are untouchable! If someone is annoyed by the nativity scene he should change the country", before a rally in Rome, Italy, December 8, 2018. REUTERS/Alessandro Bianchi 

Toys stand untouched near a home destroyed by the Carr Fire west of Redding, California, U.S. July 28, 2018. REUTERS/Bob Strong 

Kongkaew Vonusak smiles when he recalls the arrival of Chinese investors in his tranquil village in northern Laos inÊ2014. With them came easy money, he said. The Chinese offered villagers up toÊ$720Êper hectare to rent their land, much of it fallow for years, said Kongkaew, 59, the village chief. They wanted to grow bananas on it. In impoverished Laos, the offer was generous. "They told us the price and asked us if we were happy. We said okay." Elsewhere, riverside land with good access roads fetched at least double that sum. Three years later, the Chinese-driven banana boom has left few locals untouched, but not everyone is smiling. Experts say the Chinese have brought jobs and higher wages to northern Laos, but have also drenched plantations with pesticides and other chemicals. Last year, the Lao government banned the opening of new banana plantations after a state-backed institute reported that the intensive use of chemicals had sickened workers and polluted water sources. REUTERS/Jorge Silva SEARCH "SILVA BANANA" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. Matching text CHINA-SILKROAD/LAOS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Kongkaew Vonusak smiles when he recalls the arrival of Chinese investors in his tranquil village in northern Laos in 2014. With them came easy money, he said. The Chinese offered villagers up to $720 per hectare to rent their land, much of it fallow for years, said Kongkaew, 59, the village chief. They wanted to grow bananas on it. In impoverished Laos, the offer was generous. "They told us the price and asked us if we were happy. We said okay." Elsewhere, riverside land with good access roads fetched at least double that sum. Three years later, the Chinese-driven banana boom has left few locals untouched, but not everyone is smiling. Experts say the Chinese have brought jobs and higher wages to northern Laos, but have also drenched plantations with pesticides and other chemicals. Last year, the Lao government banned the opening of new banana plantations after a state-backed institute reported that the intensive use of chemicals had sickened workers and polluted water sources. REUTERS/Jorge Silva SEARCH "SILVA BANANA" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. Matching text CHINA-SILKROAD/LAOS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

Within the stone walls of the medieval village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, narrow lanes weave through stone arches, cobbled piazzas and overhanging buildings. The streets are mainly empty, except for tourists admiring the architecture and surrounding hills in Italy's southern L'Aquila province. A village which over centuries lived off agriculture and wool, Santo Stefano di Sessanio has just 108 inhabitants, less than a tenth of its pre-World War One population according to its mayor. Like many surrounding villages, most residents left for work in cities or abroad, leaving it all but abandoned. Decades later, its untouched architecture caught the attention of Swedish-Italian entrepreneur Daniele Kihlgren, who came across it on a 1999 motorbike trip. Kihlgren bought several houses, turning them in 2005 into a hotel with rooms scattered around the centre. The project has drawn tourists and injected life back into the village, according to locals. REUTERS/Siegfried Modola SEARCH "MODOLA MEDIEVAL" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY Matching text ITALY-VILLAGES/

Swing dance teachers perform at "Claerchens Ballhaus" in Berlin, Germany, August 31, 2016. Claerchens Ballhaus first opened over 100 years ago, and for some 90 years it was run by the same family. Much of the decor still has an antique, untouched look. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke SEARCH ÒBERLIN NIGHTLIFEÒ FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES.

A view of reclaimed land that is being utilized for cattle grazing is seen in the left of the frame, and a view of untouched land is seen in the right of the frame during a tour of Peabody Energy's North Antelope Rochelle coal mine near Gillette, Wyoming, U.S. June 1, 2016. Reclaimed land is land that is brought back to it's pre-mining use. REUTERS/Kristina Barker 

A durian orchard remains untouched in an area exploited by bauxite mining companies in Kuantan, Malaysia, February 16, 2016. Picture taken February 16, 2016. REUTERS/Olivia Harris 

A durian orchard remains untouched in an area exploited by bauxite mining companies in Kuantan, Malaysia, February 16, 2016. Malaysian farmers of the famously pungent durian fruit are calling for tighter regulations on mining they say is destroying arable land and tainting the water they need to churn out their yellow, spiky-shelled crop. Picture taken February 16, 2016. REUTERS/Olivia Harris 

A man on a motorcycle sits near a signboard campaigning against corruption along a road in Dangi district in Nigeria's northern city of Kano, January 19, 2016. True to his election promises, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has gone all out on corruption, alleging mind-boggling sums plundered from state coffers and giving investigators licence to pull in big hitters once thought untouchable. Now comes the hard part: making the charges stick. The first test comes on Wednesday with the opening of the trial of former National Security Advisor Sambo Dasuki, accused of fraud over $68 million of defence spending, part of a wider $2.1 billion in arms deals under scrutiny. REUTERS/Akintunde Akinleye 

New vehicles covered in protective wrapping are shipped by a transport truck along Interstate Highway 5 north of San Diego, California January 7, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Blake

Family grave of Jean-Joseph Ivaldi, his wife Marie and their son Julien at Pavillons sous Bois, near Paris, France, October 20, 2015. French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi is the second son of the couple. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken October 20, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

WWI barbed wire is seen near the Navarin monument, a pyramid inaugurated at Sommepy-Tahure in 1924 to pay tribute to World War I soldiers killed in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The ossuary is the shelter of more than 10,000 unidentified corpses of soldiers. Inside there is a chapel which walls are covered with plates placed by the families in memory of the dead soldiers, among them a plate placed there by Ivaldi's father, Jean-Joseph in honour of his son. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

General view of the Navarin monument, a pyramid inaugurated at Sommepy-Tahure in 1924 to pay tribute to World War I soldiers killed in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The ossuary is the shelter of more than 10,000 unidentified corpses of soldiers. Inside there is a chapel which walls are covered with plates placed by the families in memory of the dead soldiers, among them a plate placed there by Ivaldi's father, Jean-Joseph in honour of his son. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

A plaque which reads 'Happy Saint Name Day' hangs over a battlefield grave memorial of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi, a wooden cross with a battlefield helmet in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

The signature of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi is seen on a hand-written letter he sent to his family on October 17, 1915 . The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. The letter reads "We must leave on October 25 to Troyes or the camp of Mailly in order to become a battalion. Give a big kiss to Marie and Andree. Say hello to Maurice and Lucien. Receive from your nephew a thousand kisses". REUTERS/Collection Charles Platiau 

The rusty French army helmet and a plaque are seen on the French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, a wooden cross in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The plaque which reads in part, "In Memory of Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment. Died for France on April 30, 1917", was placed there by Ivaldi's father in 1919. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

A plaque which reads 'Happy Saint Name Day' hangs over a battlefield grave memorial of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi (Top centre) poses with fellow soldiers in this 1917 picture. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. REUTERS/Collection Charles Platiau 

WWI shell craters and trenches are seen near French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment died for France on April 30, 1917". World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

The rusty French army helmet on top a wooden cross is seen on French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The plaque which reads in part, "In Memory of Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment. Died for France on April 30, 1917", was placed there by Ivaldi's father in 1919. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

General view of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, a wooden cross with a battlefield helmet in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The plaque which reads in part, "In Memory of Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment. Died for France on April 30, 1917", was placed there by Ivaldi's father in 1919. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

A portrait of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi is displayed on a tablet, in this illustration picture, alongside his battlefield grave memorial, a wooden cross with a battlefield helmet in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The plaque which reads in part, "In Memory of Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment. Died for France on April 30, 1917", was placed there by Ivaldi's father in 1919. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

WWI shell craters and trenches are seen near French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment died for France on April 30, 1917". World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi poses in this 1917 picture. The soldier died for France on April 30, 1917. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. REUTERS/Collection Charles Platiau 

A plaque hangs over the cross of the battlefield grave memorial of World War I French soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The plaque which reads in part, "In Memory of Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment. Died for France on April 30, 1917", was placed there by Ivaldi's father in 1919. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

A rusty French flask hangs on a tree to indicate the way to the battlefield grave memorial of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment died for France on April 30, 1917". World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

WWI shell craters and trenches are seen near French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment died for France on April 30, 1917". World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau 

General view of French WWI soldier Edouard Marius Ivaldi's battlefield grave memorial, a wooden cross with a battlefield helmet in Champagne, eastern France, November 3, 2015. The plaque which reads in part, "In Memory of Edouard Marius Ivaldi, Corporal in the 7th Infantry Regiment. Died for France on April 30, 1917", was placed there by Ivaldi's father in 1919. World War One historians estimate that on the western front half of the fallen soldiers were never found or identified. Edouard Marius Ivaldi is one of these. After the war, his father Jean-Joseph searched for the remains of his son and started the grieving process. In 1919 he placed a wood cross on the spot where his son fell in combat, then in 1924 he placed a plaque with his son's name in the chapel of the Navarin Ossuary. Almost 100 years later, this place of private memory, its location unknown to visitors, has remained untouched over time. Picture taken November 3, 2015. REUTERS/Charles Platiau TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY 

A bulldozer line created by firefighters separates an untouched area from an area burnt by the Chelan Complex fire in Chelan, Washington August 21, 2015. President Barack Obama signed a federal declaration of emergency for Washington state on Friday, authorizing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts in 11 counties and several Indian reservations hard hit by wildfires. REUTERS/David Ryder 

Two pintxos, which are food snacks eaten at bars, lie untouched as revellers watch the first running of the bulls of the San Fermin festival at a bar in Pamplona, northern Spain, July 7, 2015. Two runners were gored in the run that lasted 2 minutes and 23 seconds, according to local media. REUTERS/Susana Vera TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Commuters walk past an advertisement of Bank of Baroda, India's second-biggest state-owned bank, at a busy street in New Delhi, India, June 11, 2015. More than half of a record 160 million accounts opened in India as part of a drive to offer banking to all are still empty, illustrating the massive task ahead for one of the government's most high-profile campaigns and the strain on banks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a scheme last August to end "financial untouchability", an ambitious project to enable tens of millions to have access to a bank. The scheme offers free insurance and even an overdraft facility and aims to eventually help deliver all subsidies and other social benefits to the poor directly. REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee

A woman gets her eyes tested at a free eye-care camp on the occasion of Indian politician Babasaheb Ambedkar's death anniversary in Mumbai December 6, 2014. Ambedkar, an Indian politician who was involved in drafting the Indian constitution, came from the "untouchable" caste of Hinduism and spent most of his working life campaigning against social discrimination based on caste. Many Indians across the country observed the anniversary of his death on Saturday. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade (INDIA - Tags: SOCIETY HEALTH ANNIVERSARY) 

People get their eyes tested at a free eye-care camp on the occasion of Indian politician Babasaheb Ambedkar's death anniversary in Mumbai December 6, 2014. Ambedkar, an Indian politician who was involved in drafting the Indian constitution, came from the "untouchable" caste of Hinduism and spent most of his working life campaigning against social discrimination based on caste. Many Indians across the country observed the anniversary of his death on Saturday. REUTERS/Shailesh Andrade (INDIA - Tags: SOCIETY HEALTH ANNIVERSARY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

Uttara Saud, 14, sits inside a Chaupadi shed in the hills of Legudsen village in Achham District in western Nepal in this February 16, 2014 file picture.

Chaupadi is the practice of treating women as impure and untouchable when they menstruate. In isolated regions like Achham, chaupadi has been a custom for centuries. But those from Nepal's cities or from abroad often don't know what it means.

When women go through their monthly cycle, they are not allowed to enter a house or pass by a temple. They cannot use public water sources, touch livestock, attend social events like weddings, or touch others. And at night, they are not allowed to sleep in their homes - instead they have to stay in sheds or outbuildings, often with no proper windows or doors.
As I worked on this story, I met many women who had been affected by the tradition. Uttara Saud, a shy 14-year-old girl, told me that she has to miss school during her monthly cycle.
I realized that chaupadi does not just bring discomfort and isolation to the women practicing it - sometimes they even have to pay with their lives. Isolated and poorly protected from the elements, they can be killed by snake bites, freezing weather, wild animal attacks, or fires they light to keep warm, which can cause blazes or suffocation in small sheds with poor ventilation. There have also been cases of these women, cut off from their families, being the victims of rape. - Navesh Chitrakar REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar (NEPAL - Tags: SOCIETY TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

ATTENTION EDITORS: THIS PICTURE IS PART OF THE PACKAGE 'PICTURES OF THE YEAR 2014 - THE PHOTOGRAPHERS' STORY'. SEARCH 'PHOTOGRAPHERS' STORY' FOR ALL IMAGES' 

Scaffolding is seen at the construction site of a new home in Carlsbad, California September 22, 2014. U.S. manufacturing activity hovered at a near 4-1/2-year high in September and factory employment surged, supporting views of sturdy economic growth this quarter. The economic picture was further brightened by other data on Tuesday showing an acceleration in factory and services industry growth in some areas of the country. Housing, however, continues to plod along, with home price gains decelerating sharply in July. Picture taken September 22, 2014. REUTERS/Mike Blake (UNITED STATES - Tags: BUSINESS CONSTRUCTION REAL ESTATE) 

Ana Cuellar holds a photograph of her daughter Jessica Ivonne Padilla Cuellar, as Ana's grandson looks on, while standing in Jessica's room in Ciudad Juarez June 28, 2014. Jessica was 16-years-old when she disappeared in July 2011 while looking for a job to pay her school tuition. A young man later approached Ana, claiming that Jessica had been arrested in New Mexico and that she had spent nearly three months in detention. When her mother asked the State's Attorney General Office to contact U.S. authorities, she was informed that her daughter had never been detained. Ana hopes that Jessica returns some day and keeps all of Jessica's belongings untouched in her room. Mexico's drug war has claimed many lives over the past several years and most of the corpses are never identified, or worse still, misidentified in a morbid comedy of errors by the country's overwhelmed forensic teams. Picture taken June 28, 2014. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez (MEXICO - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Migrant workers from Bangladesh embrace after Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

A devotee prays during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Devotees pray during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Children take their seat under a tree during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

A devotee prays during Hari Raya prayers on Eid al-Fitr at Masjid Pertempatan Melayu Sembawang, one of the last "kampung" (village) mosques untouched by development, in Singapore July 28, 2014. Eid al-Fitr is a major Muslim holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. REUTERS/Edgar Su (SINGAPORE - Tags: RELIGION SOCIETY) 

Zawrina Hattu, 52, lies on her bed in a village at Maungdaw June 6, 2014. Hattu has been stricken with illness for a month, as the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and Malteser clinics where she would normally get free treatment were closed. Since international aid groups were forced out of the Rakhine area in February and March, members of the minority Muslim Rohingya community who relied on them say basic health care services have all but disappeared. Worst affected are those in Northern Rakhine State (NRS), home to most of Myanmar's 1.3 million Rohingya who are stalked by sickness and malnourishment and as yet untouched by reforms under a semi-civilian government which took power in 2011. Picture taken June 6, 2014. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun (MYANMAR - Tags: SOCIETY POVERTY HEALTH POLITICS TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY) 

Rohingya Muslims are seen in their home at a village in Buthidaung, northern Rakhine state June 6, 2014. Since international aid groups were forced out of the Rakhine area in February and March, members of the minority Muslim Rohingya community who relied on them say basic health care services have all but disappeared. Worst affected are those in Northern Rakhine State (NRS), home to most of Myanmar's 1.3 million Rohingya who are stalked by sickness and malnourishment and as yet untouched by reforms under a semi-civilian government which took power in 2011. Picture taken June 6, 2014. REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun (MYANMAR - Tags: SOCIETY POVERTY POLITICS)