Paper short abstract:

This paper examines sexual culture in an agro-pastoral Southwest Ethiopian society, the Suri, and assesses whether 'menstrual synchrony' exists among among adolescent girls.

Paper long abstract:

Among the Suri agro-pastoralists, a relatively self-sufficient and independent people of ca. 34,000 in the extreme southwest of Ethiopia, young adolescent girls often assert that they menstruate together and regulate their sexual cycle, relating it to the phases of the moon. 'Menstrual synchrony' is a much debated and still unresolved phenomenon in the scientific literature. Rather than giving immediate credence to the (intriguing) assertion of its existence, I claim that the young, unmarried Suri girls - who are very well aware of all biological facts around procreation, the fertility cycle and pregnancy prevention - may use this assertion to maintain sexual independence and choice of partners in a society that is marked by significant gender equality but also competition, reflecting women's vital economic and social roles.

After a brief presentation of the (inter-disciplinary) debate on menstrual synchrony and the possible role of human pheromones, I go on to describe Suri gender relations and sexual culture, using field data gathered in two villages. I then tentatively assess the plausibility of the claims to menstrual synchrony, and elaborate an interpretation of Suri female sexual/reproductive strategies in a society marred by instability, male group violence, and an uncertain future.