Menstrual Poverty in Sô-Ava, Benin: When Women and Girls Lack Water and Dignity

By Fleur Olive Oussougoe, journalist specializing in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Gender

Menstrual Poverty in Sô-Ava, Benin: When Women and Girls Lack Water and Dignity

In Sô-Ava, a lakeside town in southern Benin, getting your period is a nightmare for many adolescent girls and women of reproductive age. Without regular access to clean water, decent toilets, or menstrual products, they experience their periods in shame, and sometimes in isolation. This persistent taboo and silent hardship endanger their well-being, health, and ability to stay in school.

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“I learned to manage my period on my own. I’ve never talked about it with my father, who I’ve lived alone with since my mother died,” says Célestine, 18, a high school student. She continues, “I got my first period just a few days after her death. My father, suddenly left to care for me and my two brothers, didn’t have time for things like that. So I figured it out myself.”

Célestine lives in Sô-Ava, a lakeside community where drinking water is a luxury.
“I didn’t know anything about menstrual products. I just used pieces of old cloth to protect myself. Even then, my khaki uniform often got stained, and I was mocked and humiliated by my classmates,” she recalls, eyes brimming with tears.

A Glimmer of Hope Through NGOs

Today, Célestine manages her periods better thanks to support from local organizations.
“Lately, NGOs have been giving us reusable pads. Since I got some, I feel more at ease. I’m not scared of staining my uniform anymore.” Still, “here in Sô-Ava, we don’t have clean water,” she says, decrying a life without dignity. “The river you see is used for everything — washing dishes, bathing, doing laundry... I’d rather not tell you everything that ends up in it.”

A worker from the Single Window for Social Protection (GUPS) confirms:
“Menstrual hygiene is a real challenge in Sô-Ava. Girls are often caught off guard by their first periods. Some stay home from school to avoid ridicule, while others simply don’t know how to handle five days of bleeding.”

What About Parents’ Role?

Barthélemy, a father of three daughters in his fifties, believes parents need to break the silence. He shares his approach:
“It’s easy to talk about these things. You can start by complimenting their clothing or talking about personal hygiene, and then bring up menstruation.” He emphasizes parental responsibility:
“Both mothers and fathers must make sure their daughters have what they need for menstrual hygiene. And for girls who spend the day at school, they need to be equipped.”

He also calls on political leaders:
“The government must provide proper facilities in schools and markets. And above all, there must be clean water. Without that, how can we speak of dignity?” he asks.

Education, Dialogue, and Consent

Menstrual poverty isn’t just a hygiene issue, says Aïchatou Salifou, a menstrual health consultant. It’s a matter of public health. She adds,
“We need to break the taboos around sexuality. Children’s questions are important opportunities to teach them about their bodies.”

She stresses that open family conversations foster better education around consent and protection from sexual violence:
“When a girl understands where her period comes from, she also begins to understand the boundaries of her body. That knowledge can help protect her.”

She concludes:
“This isn’t just a woman’s role. Men can and should participate in menstrual education too. You just have to use simple, clear, age-appropriate language,” she advises.