Normalise talk about menopause
Because of the stigma, embarrassment, lack of public awareness, and miscommunication, many women go through menopause in quiet suffering.
What you need to know:
- Many people hear about hot flashes from time to time, maybe from a relative or in the media.
- Even doctors rarely bring up menopause with their patients.
- As we grow up, we get the puberty talk, but not the menopause talk.
In the cover story of Daily Nation's pullout The Voice dated April 7, 2023, we featured an issue that is often discussed in hushed tones.
Many people hear about hot flashes from time to time, maybe from a relative or in the media. Even doctors rarely bring up menopause with their patients. As we grow up, we get the puberty talk, but not the menopause talk.
Some years back (in my 30s) while shopping in a supermarket, I stumbled on this woman who had opened the ice-cream fridge and bent over it – for quite some time. She caught me staring at her. Her entire head was inside the freezer!
Mind you, it was a very cold July. Years later, in my 50s, I sit at my desk staring at my fan. I can’t help but empathise with that woman because I now understand what she was going through.
Did I say I have another fan in my handbag, one in my car and another at home? It is a phase every woman experiences at some point in their lives, although few talk about it.
Because of the stigma, embarrassment, lack of public awareness, and miscommunication, many women go through menopause in quiet suffering. Many do not even know that World Menopause Day is celebrated on October 18 every year.
That TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey and former US First Lady Michelle Obama have shared their menopausal experience is reason enough to encourage others to normalise talk around it.
While every woman and her menopause are unique, simply talking and learning about it can help women prepare for what’s coming. And if they’re prepared, they are able to manage its symptoms.
For the menopausal women, let’s drive this conversation. Each one has a unique menopause story to share. What’s your story? We need to remove the shame and silence around menopause.
Meanwhile, the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report (2022) says the global gender gap is closing excruciatingly slowly, such that it will take 132 years to reach full parity worldwide.
This means, none of us reading this piece will witness that momentous time. Gender equality should be a priority because women’s participation in the economy contributes to growth and stability.
So today, I celebrate my boss Pamella Makotsi-Sittoni for another milestone in her career. She becomes the first female group managing editor in Africa. Congratulations Pamella!
Happy Easter weekend and holiday.
