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Meg Mathews on how to break the menopause taboo

Photo credit: Meg Mathews
Photo credit: Meg Mathews

From Red Online

Finding out she was in the menopause, Meg Mathews, 53, realised women like her needed support, craved information – and above all, needed to share their experiences and remove the stigma so she became a vocal campaigner for menopausal women everywhere. Here Meg shares what we all need to do to end the menopause taboo.

Despite all of the noise being made in the press and media about the menopause, it is still viewed as a huge taboo – almost a shameful subject.

Women are reluctant to speak to their employers, colleagues, family and friends about the menopause, thinking it will somehow put them in a bad light or make them miss out on a promotion. The perception is that a menopausal woman will be viewed as an emotional, hormonal and erratic woman who simply cannot cope or be trusted.

Well-intended family and friends may also be dismissive just as they can be when you have PMT; you know how the comments go: 'Oh… it’s that time of the month again!'

We need to break the stigma of menopause together

As an advocate for menopausal women everywhere, I am trying to break this stigma and taboo along with many other amazing women, doctors and healthcare professionals.

It worries me that – when I tell my story, visiting huge corporations and speaking on panels – some women are too embarrassed to identify themselves as being menopausal or perimenopausal in front of their colleagues. This reminds me of the scarlet letter and this type of puritanical thinking that really, in this day and age, should be a thing of the past.

It’s ridiculous that we, women in modern society, should be made to feel this way! This is why I am fighting every day to make changes, so that menopausal women are understood and that any shame surrounding the menopause is taken away.

We need our menopausal experiences to be understood

I speak out everywhere I go and my own traumatic menopause experience is the inspiration behind all the work I do. When we open a discussion about the menopause, we are inundated with questions and appreciation from women of all walks of life – united by their experiences and just searching for support. Just being able to get their feelings or experiences off their chest has been cathartic for so many, including myself!

I have had CEOs – the gutsiest of businesswomen – in tears of relief at just having been finally understood! Being able to vent in a safe and comfortable forum where they feel they won’t be judged. This was my goal from the beginning and, every day, the more we push and fight, the closer we are to achieving this.

We need implementation of menopause guidelines at work

ACAS' long-awaited guidance to help employers and managers support staff who are affected by menopause symptoms at work was recently published.

Around two million women aged over 50 have difficulties at work due to their menopause symptoms – and it is estimated that one in 20 women could go through an early menopause.

ACAS' guidance will help give employers the knowledge they need to fully understand their colleagues who are going through the menopause and struggling with symptoms. Also, it gives employees the necessary tools to feel confident in approaching their employers if they are suffering from symptoms related to the menopause, taking away the fear and worry of speaking openly about their symptoms in a safe environment.

This new guide includes tips for workers on how to raise any concerns and good practice guidance for employers to help manage menopause at work.

They include creating and implementing a menopause policy, providing awareness training for managers to deal with any concerns in a sensitive way, creating an open and trusted culture within the team and make changes where possible, such as altering working hours and implementing low-cost environmental changes such as providing desk fans. The guidelines also call for an awareness of employment laws that can relate to menopause issues at work such as the risks of sex, disability or age discrimination.

We need power in numbers

We as women need to unite, trust each other and have each other’s backs. In life, there is always power in numbers.

As a menopause campaigner and advocate, I have found this to be true – we are a community. I will continually fight until this subject becomes the norm. Menopausal women are not women past their prime, we are all beautiful, sexual, powerful, kick-ass women!

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