Menopause Revolution

Join us to talk, share, learn and create change.

Everyone has been silent on the topic of menopause for too long. Here at Women in Social Housing (WISH) Yorkshire and Humberside, we are joining the Menopause revolution and have created a series of events for people in social housing to come together to talk, share, learn and create change. Everyone is welcome — women, men, and all people who experience the menopause either personally or through others in their lives.

13 million women in the country are going through some phase of the menopause.

This is not some sort of minority special interest and yet it is still dealt with as a side issue, or in some cases not dealt with or addressed at all. 1 in 4 women think about giving up work because of the impact of the menopause on their ability to work and the feelings about themselves. In the Social Housing Sector — where 70% of employees are women — this is bad news. We need to make sure that people don’t feel a sense of embarrassment. It should no longer be a taboo.

There has recently been far more open discussion about the menopause, with celebrities — Michelle Obama, Emma Thompson and Davina Mccall, to name a few — starting to talk about their experience. Even politicians have started to talk and take action, with MP Carolyn Harris recently pushing the Menopause (Support and Services) Bill through the House of Commons to exempt Hormone Replacement Therapy from NHS prescription charges.

Misdiagnosis
Despite the progress, women up and down the country are still having really bad experiences, with many still not realising that their symptoms are menopausal. More needs to be done to ensure women — and men — are no longer terrified and embarrassed to talk about the menopause and that menopause-aware and supportive organisations become the norm. Horror stories of women thinking they have dementia, being hospitalised for joint pain, or feeling suicidal are too common. Women report not knowing what is happening to them, thinking that their symptoms are incurable, and not realising that what they are going through is a phase. We also need to raise awareness of the support and help that is out there.

It is really difficult for women to get diagnosed with the menopause. Nobody is joining up the dots. There is a lack of knowledge in the medical profession with 41% of medical schools not having it on their curriculum. Everything about this — doctors’ training, the way women feel about themselves, the way society doesn’t talk about it, and the way the business thinks about it — needs to change.

Employers — including Housing Associations — can do more
It is more important than ever that people can talk openly about the menopause, to recognise and understand symptoms, to be able to manage their health and the health of others and for employers — including Housing Association — to embed awareness of the menopause into their organisation. We should all be striving to become menopause-diverse employers where current policies and procedures are adapted through a menopause lens, and where training and conversations about the menopause are commonplace.

There are examples of good practice by employers and housing associations, but they are few and far between. Learning about the menopause should become part of diversity, inclusion and HR policies. In most organisations there isn’t training for managers about the menopause and this is only further exacerbating the problem.

Men need to be involved
Men need to talk about it too. Men are a big part of the solution and need to be involved in conversations to ensure their understanding and buy in. The change that is required is societal, it’s across the whole of organisations and this can only be achieved by involving everyone.

So, what next?

WISH are taking this agenda forward with 2-part event series and we’d like you to join us.

Event 1- Understanding the Menopause

In this first event we’ll be joined by Miss Menopause who will help us to understand what the menopause is and how it affects people differently. We’ll hear from women with lived experience working in Housing Associations and in West Yorkshire Police, and there will also be chance to learn more about how to manage your health when experiencing the menopause. This session will also leave those with loved ones or colleagues experiencing the menopause more informed about how best to support those going through the menopause

Event 2- How to become a menopause diverse employer

As part of WISH’s International Women’s Day week-long celebrations, we’ll be joined by Miss Menopause again for the final event in our menopause series who will share overview of what organisations should, could and are doing to become menopause diverse employers. We’ll hear from housing associations across the sector about the work their organisations are doing on the menopause, and we’ll also hear from West Yorkshire Police and the British Association for women in Policing about their national menopause action group.

See you there!

Charlotte, Chair of WISH Yorkshire and Humberside