Festival Menstrues Libres — Voice

Menstrual Hygiene Day is observed each year on May 28. This awareness day highlights the importance of good menstrual hygiene management, and many activities are usually organized to commemorate the day.

In this conversation, Salématou Baldé and Aude N’depo share their experience as members of the organizing team for Mes Menstrues Libres, the first festival focused on menstrual dignity in French-speaking West Africa. This year’s festival took place from 25th to 26th May 2024 in Abidjan.

We spoke with them ahead of the festival. Explore the interview to learn about how African feminists created this space for conversation, awareness-raising, and advocacy to tackle period poverty and deconstruct the stigma around menstruation.

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Hello Salématou and Aude! Let’s start with introductions. Please tell us who you are.

Salématou: My name is Salématou Baldé. I am a feminist activist, president of the NGO Actuelles, and a co-organizer of the first Mes Menstrues Libres festival in West Africa. NGO Actuelles is committed to promoting respect for the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and women, including people with disabilities. Our programs focus on fighting against sexual and gender-based violence. We also engage in knowledge acquisition, skills development and training, as well as advocacy, a strategic area for the organization. Particularly advocacy for adopting a law on reproductive health in Ivory Coast.

Aude: I’m Aude N’depo, project coordinator for the organization Gouttes Rouges, a co-organizer of the Mes Menstrues Libres festival. Gouttes Rouges is an organization that works for menstrual dignity. We fight against illiteracy and period poverty.

Tell me about the origins of the Mes Menstrues Libres festival.

Aude: The festival was created by two great African feminists who work against period poverty: Amandine Yao, the president of Gouttes Rouges, and Salématou here.

Salématou: This will make you smile. Amandine and I have been involved in research on period poverty in Côte d’Ivoire. Our work is to make menstrual hygiene products accessible to young girls, restore their dignity, and make them understand that menstruation is normal. One day at the airport, we were traveling to Niamey to attend the first feminist Agora. I said to Amandine: “Wait, we’re going to Niamey and we’re going to meet other feminists and then we’ll fly back to Côte d’Ivoire. Don’t you think that this year we should do something special for Menstrual Hygiene Day?” She replied “Yeah, that’s a great idea.” Then I said, “How about a festival?” And she said “That’s amazing! Let’s talk about it when we get back.” That’s how we got the idea, at the airport while we waited to board our flight.

Haha, that’s amazing!

Salématou: Then the idea started to grow. What kind of activity could we offer? Who would participate? What were we going to talk about? How would we get funding? After we left the Agora, we continued the ideation process, and then it became necessary to find a name.

We had several names in mind and then Amandine asked: “What about Menstrues Libres?” This fit perfectly with the idea we had of the initiative. That’s how this great adventure began. Initially, there were two of us, but we brought in people from outside our organizations to help with the brainstorming. Then we agreed that it was necessary to bring together the organizations working to tackle period poverty, whether in prisons, markets, communities, or schools. So we got everyone together and organized the first edition with limited resources, thanks to the commitment and dynamism of our members. And now, we're hosting the second one on May 25 and 26, 2024 in Abidjan.

Aude: The idea for the festival was great. We’re two organizations that work on the issue. We know the realities that girls and women face. We know how sacred the woman’s body is. That it’s not something people talk about. Creating a festival where we open the discourse around it was necessary.

Absolutely. A festival like this is necessary. The taboos around menstruation are burdensome. There’s a lot of stigma and stereotypes. Do you remember the first time you had your period?

Aude: I remember being in the eighth grade when it happened. I was very embarrassed and I didn’t want to talk about it. And so, I didn’t. I went home. Since I have older sisters, I watched them. I managed alone, I didn’t have any pads so I found a cloth that I folded and wore. At some point, it got so soaked that my sister noticed and told me. She asked me: “Since when have you been on your period?” She taught me what to do, explained how things would go, what I had to do, and so on. I told myself that if I had been educated on the issue, things would have gone differently.

Later I began hanging out with other girls, and they told me that in school they couldn’t talk about menstruation because their male classmates mocked them. That’s when I realized how stigmatized and taboo it was. This is why I advocate for this cause.

What are the goals of the festival?

Salématou: When we organized the Mes Menstrues Libres festival, we aimed to break the stigma and foster the sharing of experiences. Let’s take the example of girls who think that after their first period, they will get pregnant when a boy touches them. That’s a belief that’s been around for a while. Breaking the silence on this issue is crucial to begin sharing relevant information. It is necessary to offer a place for discussion, awareness-raising, and networking. We cannot neglect intergenerational conversations to let young girls know that they’re not alone. That it’s something natural that our mothers and grandmothers experienced before us. And that some of them still experience. Our next goal is to set up a framework for reflection on how to tackle period poverty in Côte d’Ivoire.

By starting the festival, I imagine that you also had some goals for engagement with the State and other stakeholders.

Yes. We wondered how to make the State consider the issue of period poverty as a major social issue. How can we face all of this? To answer all these questions, we need lots of people and an environment convenient for discussion.

There are some pads and menstrual cups in Côte d’Ivoire. Tampons aren’t fabricated here but they are sold. We therefore needed to find a way to gather these supplies in the same spaces, and bring in healthcare professionals. The composition of sanitary pads is often questioned. How can we assemble them, initiate conversations, and find solutions? These were our initial goals with the festival.

This will be the second edition of the festival. How did the first one go? How did people react to it?

Salématou: On the first day, as soon as we started talking about it, people would say: “Wait, a festival on menstruation? A festival? These two don’t go together! Festivals are for having fun and dancing. But you’re talking about periods. No, no, no, no you need to tell us more about this.”

That’s true! I had the same reaction as well. But more in the sense of “Oh, this is a space where we can discuss serious matters with joy.” I love that! I am tired of symposiums and heavy spaces.

Salématou: And that was the idea. We knew that we often organized panels, webinars, and talks. However, for young people, it is necessary to bring them together in the places they’re already in. And festivals are great for that; the name only sparks interest. The first edition took place at the Koumassi Agora. This is a place for gatherings and community life. There are many schools nearby, as well as neighbourhoods with young people. They showed up and were very interested in the activities. There were some activities on a rolling schedule, and some that were available throughout the festival period.

For instance, we had the painting workshop for which we couldn’t welcome a large number of participants. It was limited. Many young people couldn’t join. We vowed to do better for the second edition.

What was the most significant thing for you during the first edition?

Salématou: What struck me the most at that year's event was the attendance of the deputy mayor of Koumassi, to whom we had sent an invitation letter. He arrived and visited the stands. At the end of the festival, we submitted the report and during our discussions, we decided to return to the municipality for the second edition. It's a good start for collaboration and commitment from the authorities.

What about you Aude?

Aude: What struck me was the commitment of the young girls I saw. We had girls aged 9, 10, and 11 who were fully involved, listening to the panels, and asking questions. Above all, we had a special room called “The Experience Room” where everyone could come and tell their story, an anecdote about their menstruation experience. There were so many surprising stories and I thought it was truly a great idea to do this festival. We really helped people to speak out.

What’s the experience room?

Salématou: It's an empty room with a table in the middle, filled with papers and pens. We had some ropes hanging above and also had some pegs. So, when you arrive, you take a piece of paper, in any colour you like. You choose the coloured pen that suits you best, that you’re most comfortable with. You tell us about your menstrual experience anonymously. Anonymously. And when you've finished, you take your clip and put it on one of the strings. The idea is that the girls who come into the room can look around, read about the experiences, and think: “look, I'm not the only one going through this. This other person already did.” That's what the experience room is all about.

That’s wonderful!

Salématou: Yeah! It’s a great idea that we got from Amandine. It’s my favorite thing at the festival. Because each year we get to read wonderful stories.

Aude: The other thing that struck me was the festival’s impact. I am working on another project called Club Rouge. Through these clubs, we organize workshops in schools where I talk to young girls. These girls were invited to the first edition. When I went back to their school, their friends would come to me and say: “We weren’t invited, but here’s what our girlfriends had to say about the festival. We would love to get involved. We also have things to say. We don’t have toilets in our school, so we can’t change during our periods.” That means that there was feedback. The young girls who went to the festival shared their experience with their friends and in turn, motivated them to speak out.

We often talk about menstruation. However, it is not very common to hear about it from a feminist point of view. What does the festival contribute in this regard?

Salématou: Well, the festival is run by two feminist organizations. The foundation is already clear. We can’t separate menstruation and feminism. We’re tackling an issue that concerns women and girls. We can’t let others speak for us. We can’t let girls grow without the right information. We must explain to girls what it's all about, and boost their confidence, self-esteem, and dignity. We need to deconstruct the myths and preconceived ideas imposed on us by society. We must be part of something and build it. This festival is also about creating and instilling a feminist spirit in girls.

You mentioned dignity. I increasingly see “menstrual dignity” instead of “menstrual hygiene”. Why is that?

Aude: We traditionally talk about “menstrual hygiene”. These words give a hygienist dimension to menstruation. It’s like accepting the notion that menstruation is dirty, something that needs to be washed because it’s not clean. We use the word “dignity” because menstruating is normal and natural. Some communities celebrate it. We don’t want to reinforce the preconceived ideas about menstruation. For us, it’s not dirty, it’s natural, the renewal of a cycle. This is why we talk about “menstrual dignity”.

Indeed, the term “menstrual hygiene” implies that menstruation is inherently dirty or something to be ashamed of. And that fuels the stigma around it. Saying “menstrual dignity” helps tackle these taboos and highlights the fact that this issue is also about ensuring people who menstruate are educated and have access to period supplies and sanitary facilities without being discriminated against. Does the festival also offer a space to talk openly about sexuality?

Salématou: Yes. Do you know about the Minou Libre workshops? We'll be hosting a Minou Libre workshop during the festival. There will also be talking circles and panels on various topics related to sexual and reproductive health.

That’s great. What are the activities planned for this second edition?

Salématou: Well, this year it will take place at the Koumassi youth center. The mayor’s office offered us this space. For fixed activities, we have the workshops, the experience room, and the exhibition corridor, where partners and organizations working in the field of sexual and reproductive health come to exhibit and discuss with attendees. This year, there will be sewing, painting, and sculpture workshops. We also have a shop with mugs and tote bags for sale. The idea behind the event is to raise funds to renovate toilets in schools, especially in middle schools and high schools. This will enable young girls to have safe spaces with dignity so they don't have to use mixed toilets. Then there's the “Us” room. It's a room for resting and networking. We know that when you come to a festival from morning to night, sometimes you get tired. You can get a bit sluggish. So we've actually set up a room where you can rest, network, and chat, but in a very intimate and safe way. Those are the fixed activities.

As for the rolling activities, there are panels and discussions with experts. There are talking circles with a small, very intimate group. And of course, we have our evening presentation of the production of initiatives and organizations that we've called “Period party”. Because when we say festival, we also mean music and dance. We're going to have fun, we're going to dance.

That’s very interesting.

Aude: Yeah. The Mes Menstrues Libres festival will be awesome. The first day is open to everyone, we’ll have panels like last year. There will be activities to demystify menstruation. Then, there’ll be women-only workshops, to share our experiences, and help open the dialogue. We’ll talk about the initiatives set up to fight period poverty. We’ll share their best practices, learn, and draw inspiration from them.

Salématou: The new interesting addition this year will be our feminist charter. The charter will allow us to handle, or define everything that will be done at the festival, whether it’s words, gestures, or comments. Everything must be done in alignment with a feminist spirit. The charter will be presented to the festival-goers and all of our partners. We also made some headway in the scientific structure of the festival. What can we do? What can we discuss? We thought about our feminist sisters from other countries; who can enlighten us, co-create? This also shows everything we have in mind to nurture the festival.

What challenges did you face with organizing the festival?

Salématou: I’d say one of our biggest challenges in setting up such a huge festival is first and foremost financial. The partners get involved a bit late. The first edition was difficult because our partners got on board during the week of the festival. It’s tricky because we have productions and orders to place. The other challenge is time. Time is always against us. Sometimes we are under the impression that we have enough time before realizing that we don’t. We know the festival is happening in a week and we’re super busy.

Do you have further plans for the festival? Like making it happen in other countries?

Salématou: Yes we do. Amandine and I are currently thinking about it. The first and second editions took place in Côte d’Ivoire. If we have the partners to support us, why won’t we have the third edition in another country? I’ll keep the surprise.

What is the festival's demand from decision-makers?

Salématou: We have many priorities regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We’re using this festival as a platform to make these demands. We're talking about the importance of having a legal framework in which girls and women can enjoy their freedoms and rights in terms of sexual and reproductive health. This is an obstacle in Côte d’Ivoire. Without a legal framework, everything is skewed. There’s a legal void.

The second priority is information on sexual and reproductive health. Young people very often don't have the right information. They have information, but not the right information about their sexual and reproductive health. So for us, it's also a priority that young people are informed, that they can make informed decisions. The other priority is linked to the first. It is to increase the commitment of the authorities and governments to take sexual and reproductive health into account in their agendas, and to have them acknowledge that it is a priority, and a public health issue.

Aude: We have invited decision-makers to the festival because we want concrete measures in the fight against period poverty. We’ll share a glimpse of what has been done during the festival while demanding more.

At Eyala we often ask this question to our interviewees: what is your feminist life motto? It can be a thought, a phrase, a quote, or anything that inspires you as a feminist.

Salématou: I’d say my motto changes because I have several. First, I believe every girl and every woman must have access to their rights regarding sexual and reproductive health. My other motto would be love because we need love, sisterhood, and intersectionality. We need to address these jointly. We live in a world that’s undoubtedly evolving, but is it moving in line with our beliefs? Is it moving according to what we want? We need to move together. I believe in sisterhood, listening, empathy, respect, kindness, and open-mindedness. And for me, love encompasses all of that. Love makes us strong. Love makes us powerful and makes us thrive.

Exactly. Our movements need so much love and sisterhood, especially now with everything happening in the world. I don’t think we can succeed without love and benevolence.

Salématou: Exactly and we’re the ones who have to build them.

What about you Aude?

Aude: As a feminist, mine is “My body, my choice”. I think that as women, we must be free to make our own decisions about our bodies because they belong to us first and foremost. We aim to dismantle this system that imposes on women what society wants. So my motto as a feminist is “My body, my choice”.

This is my biggest wish for every woman: that we all belong to ourselves fully. Many thanks to you both. This was a great conversation. We wish you the very best with the Mes Menstrues Libres festival.