MenopauseTalk

When Experience Becomes Invisible, Who Pays the Price?

Black History Month celebrates the achievements of Black women. Menopause Awareness Month asks us to recognise their changing needs. But together, these two conversations expose something far more uncomfortable

For decades, Black women have built businesses, led teams, supported communities and navigated professional environments that have not always recognised their contributions. They have developed the ability to read situations, manage competing expectations, build trust across cultures and deliver results under pressure.

Yet, as they enter their forties, fifties and beyond, many encounter a contradiction. Their experience is increasingly valuable, but their visibility, advancement and access to opportunity do not necessarily reflect it.

You Are  Not Losing Your Edge. You Are  Losing Sleep, Support and Silence and Nobody Told You That It Was Menopause.

If you are a high-functioning and aspirational woman in your 40s or 50s, here is a sentence you have probably never said out loud "I don't know how much longer I can keep compensating like this."

Not because you are  failing but because you are succeeding, expensively.

Research keeps confirming what so many women have quietly suspected. The problem was never competence. It is expensive. The Fawcett Society's landmark UK study of over 4,000 menopausal and peri menopausal women found that 77% experienced at least one symptom they rated as very difficult and  44% reported three or more symptoms at that level. Sleep problems were the most disruptive, cited as difficult by 84% of women, followed by brain fog (73%) and anxiety or depression (69%). And critically: 44% of…

That Glass of Wine May Be Making Menopause Harder Than It Needs to Be

The glass of wine at the end of the day can feel like the solution. You have managed the meeting, answered the emails, looked after everybody else, dealt with the hot flushes, forgotten the word you were looking for halfway through a sentence and somehow kept the business, household or team moving. So you pour a drink because it helps you switch off. Or does it?

For some women going through perimenopause and menopause, alcohol may be quietly aggravating several of the symptoms they are drinking to escape. That distinction matters. Alcohol does not cause menopause symptoms, and not every woman will find that drinking makes her symptoms worse. But for some women, alcohol can act as a trigger or amplifier, particularly around hot flushes, disrupted sleep and mood.

The NHS specifically advises women to reduce…

Time-Restricted Eating in Menopause:

New Science or Ancient Wisdom?

Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) is having a moment. Search interest in "intermittent fasting" has grown steadily over the past five years and a new study from Texas Woman's University is now recruiting postmenopausal women to share their views on it.

But before we crown TRE the latest menopause fix, it is worth asking "is this new science or are researchers simply rediscovering eating patterns many cultures practised long before all-day snacking, shift work and ultra-processed food became normal?"

What The Research Shows and Who It Is Missing

The Menopause Question Nobody Is Asking.

If modern medicine has never been more advanced, why are more women looking beyond the prescription?

For generations, women have been told that menopause is a season of loss.

The Leadership Menopause Blind Spot

There is a question we are not asking often enough.

Why Do So Many Women Wake Up At 3 A.M.?

Have you ever found yourself staring at the ceiling in the early hours of the morning, wondering why you are wide awake when all you want is a good night's sleep?

You are not alone.

For many women navigating perimenopause and menopause, the 3 a.m. wake-up call has become an all-too-familiar experience. One minute you are asleep, the next your mind is racing. Thoughts about work, family, finances, relationships, ageing parents, adult children, health concerns and life's endless responsibilities suddenly demand your attention.

Many women assume it is simply stress. Others wonder if they are developing anxiety or losing their ability to cope. The truth is far more interesting.

Perimenopause Anxiety Is Surging for Working Women.

If you are hit with sudden dread, heart palpitations mimicking panic attacks, 3 a.m. racing thoughts, overwhelming unease over minor things, intense irritability, new social anxiety or that wired-but-exhausted state, you are not “losing it.” 

This is a common, biologically driven experience in perimenopause, amplified by modern work demands and it hits differently across cultures and generations.

Anxiety in Perimenopause:

It Hits Different and There's Science Behind It (and Support Ahead).

If you are in our menopause group and suddenly dealing with waves of dread, racing heart, 3am panic spirals or feeling "wired but exhausted" while everything that used to roll off your back now feels overwhelming... you are not "crazy," losing it or imagining things.

“Menopause Belly”… Or Is Your Body Responding Exactly the Way Biology Intended?

For many women, the changes begin quietly.

Menopause Is Not a Private Issue. It Is a Leadership Issue Hiding in Plain Sight.

There is a pattern repeating itself across workplaces in the United Kingdom and beyond. Highly capable women, often at the height of their experience, judgment and influence, begin to struggle in silence.

• Their confidence appears to dip.

• Their energy fluctuates.

• Their concentration shifts.

What They Never Told Us About the Concrete Ceiling and Menopause, An Unspoken Crisis

Let us be clear. This is not just a health conversation. It is a leadership, equity and economic issue hiding in plain sight.

The narrative around menopause, perimenopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) has long been presented as a universal female experience. It is not.

Much of what is discussed, researched and normalised reflects a narrow lens, one that has historically centred white women, leaving Black and women of colour navigating one of the most complex biological transitions of their lives without culturally competent care, without workplace understanding and often without language to articulate what is happening to them.

So women are told to “manage it.” To “push through.” To “get on with it.”

Hot Flushes, Cool Gimmicks:

Who Else Is Making Money Off Menopause?

Scroll your phone for five minutes and menopause will find you.

Cooling bracelets. Hormone-balancing teas. Serums for “menopause skin.” Supplements promising calm, sleep, focus, libido, sometimes all at once. If you have ever thought “Should I try this?” you are not alone.

But this week, doctors, researchers and clinicians across the UK and US have raised a red flag. Menopause has become a marketing gold rush and women are paying the price.

Why Menopause Support Still Fails Women of Colour

What happens when the policies designed to support you were never written with you in mind?

Across the UK, research from the Fawcett Society shows that 1 in 10 women have left their jobs due to menopause symptoms, with many more reducing their hours or stepping back from leadership roles.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) found:

• 3 in 5 menopausal women are negatively affected at work

Are We Misreading Your Menopause or Missing Your ADHD?

As more midlife professional women, particularly Black and women of colour, report rising brain fog, anxiety and performance pressure at work, new research shows that many are only now recognising underlying ADHD during perimenopause. Studies confirm that perimenopause can intensify lifelong ADHD traits, leading to late diagnoses, especially among women historically overlooked or misdiagnosed.

This overlap matters. Peri menopausal cognitive changes (fog, overwhelm, memory lapses) can mimic or mask ADHD, making it harder for women and their clinicians to know what’s driving workplace challenges. Some reports show perimenopause reveals ADHD rather than causing it, highlighting how easily symptoms are misattributed in busy professional women.

At the same time, falling estrogen disrupts dopamine regulation, worsening inattention, executive dysfunction and emotional dysregulation, symptoms that heavily influence leadership, productivity and workplace wellbeing.

Yet not all data aligns. Newer research suggests ADHD does not always…

Understanding Early & Surgical Menopause:

What It Means for Black Women and Women of Colour.

Menopause is often spoken about as if it arrives at the same time, in the same way, for every woman.

For many Black women and women of colour, that assumption does real harm. Early and surgical menopause are not rare outliers, they are lived realities shaped by stress, health inequalities and systems that were never designed with our bodies in mind.

The Talent Drain Nobody Is Measuring:

Why Menopause Is Quietly Reshaping the Workplace

One in ten women will leave their job because of menopause. Not because they lack ambition. Not because they are disengaged. But because the workplace was never designed to hold them at this stage of life.

That single statistic should stop every employer, leader and policymaker in their tracks. Menopause is not a niche wellbeing issue. It is a workforce stability issue, a leadership pipeline issue and increasingly, an equity issue.

The Data Is Stark.

Beyond HRT:

The Rise of Homeopathy in Menopause and the Evidence Behind It.

Menopause is universal, but the way women experience it is anything but.

Across the United Kingdom, more women are actively questioning how menopause is framed, treated and supported. Many are looking beyond hormone replacement therapy (HRT), not because HRT is inherently wrong or dangerous, but because it is not the right answer for everyone. Women want options that feel personalised, culturally relevant and aligned with their lived experience.

When the Cycle Does Not End, It Compounds.

Menopause does not arrive as a clean break from menstruation. It arrives carrying the full history of every cycle you have ever had.

Heavy periods, painful cramps, fibroids, anaemia, hormonal imbalance, medical dismissal, these do not disappear at menopause. They shape how the brain, uterus, immune system and nervous system respond to the transition. For many women, especially Black women, menopause is not relief. It is the point where years of unmanaged gynaecological stress finally surface.

Tea, Coffee and Menopause:

Why This Research Matters More Than You Think

A decade-long study suggests tea may support bone density in older women, while heavy coffee intake is linked to lower bone density after menopause. On its own, that is interesting.

But when you factor in what we know about earlier menopause, bone health risk and unequal access to menopause care for Black and South Asian women, this research takes on a deeper significance.

Menopause is not just a hormonal transition. It affects bone remodelling, inflammation, muscle strength, balance and long-term mobility. For women who enter menopause earlier, these changes begin sooner and last longer. When musculoskeletal symptoms are under-recognised or normalised, the long-term impact is often missed until later life.

Menopause Is More Than Hot Flushes:

Five Truths We Must Stop Minimising.

For too long, menopause has been reduced to a punchline about hot flushes and mood swings. That framing is not only inaccurate, it is dangerous.

From a neuroscience, public health and lived-experience perspective, menopause represents a profound biological, psychological and social transition.

For Black women and women of colour, the impact is often intensified by systemic bias, delayed diagnosis and cultural silence. As an advisory community committed to leadership, wellbeing and equity, we must tell the fuller truth.

Menopause:

The Comeback Nobody Asked For!

If you thought menopause might finally give you a minute of peace and “feeling like yourself again,” Wanda’s interview will hit home. Just when you declare victory, the universe and menopause casually sends another round your way.

Wanda’s honesty is hilarious and deeply real. Her remedy for coping? A bit of red wine, a fag and sleeping nude. Yes, that was the punch line for me! But beneath the laughter is a truth many of us know all too well.

THE MENOPAUSE ROADMAP:

Your Path Back to Clarity, Energy and Control.

You are not imagining it.

• The 3pm crash.

• The brain fog.

From Mayhem to Mastery:

5 Ways to Reclaim Your Power in Menopause.

Say goodbye to menopause mayhem  because what you are feeling is not madness, weakness or “losing it.”

It is biology. It is hormones. It is your brain and body recalibrating.small changes in systems create big shifts in behaviour. Menopause is one of those systems. An internal reboot that shakes every circuit.

Here are five evidence-backed ways to move from chaos to calm:

Moving From Chaos to Calm With Science, Strength and Self-Awareness

There is a moment in every woman’s menopause journey when the symptoms feel louder than your voice, your confidence or your clarity.

• You are not imagining it.

• You are not “too emotional.”

• You are not losing your edge.

It Is Time To Take Your Power Back:

5 Ways To Thrive Through Menopause.

Menopause is not the ending people whisper about. It is the beginning of a woman who finally stops shrinking, stops apologising and stops carrying pain in silence. But here is the truth that transforms everything:

You cannot change what you refuse to measure.

The Silent Confidence Curve:

5 Ways Menopause Is Reshaping Women’s Careers (and Why It Is Not Your Fault).

In most workplaces, changes in confidence or performance are attributed to shifting roles, organisational pressure or workload. We are reminded that the most significant disruptors are usually the ones no one is examining.

Menopause is not a personal weakness. It is a biological transition with workplace consequences. The problem is not the symptoms. It is the silence around them.

Before women begin questioning their capability, one essential reflection is missing “Is my confidence changing because of competence or because of chemistry?” 

Politics, Advocacy & the “Menopause Gold Rush”

Why So Many Women Feel Exploited in the Menopause Market.

When researchers call menopause a “gold rush,” it forces us to confront a truth many women already felt instinctively. There is profit in our confusion. Millions of women report feeling uninformed, unsupported or dismissed and into that gap steps a marketplace of supplements, influencers, private clinics and quick fixes offering hope at a price.

The Guardian recently highlighted this problem when University College London researchers found that only 22 percent of women felt well-informed about menopause.

That statistic is not simply medical, it is political. It exposes how deeply society has under invested in women’s health, education and long-term wellbeing.

The Advocate Changing the Menopause Story for Black Women

There is a quiet revolution happening in the menopause conversation, led by Black women who refuse to let our experiences remain invisible.

At the forefront is Nina Kuypers, founder of Black Women in Menopause (BWIM), a voice who has carved out space for a demographic routinely ignored in research, under-represented in policy and too often dismissed in healthcare.

Nina’s work begins with a truth many Black women know but rarely name. Our menopause journey is distinct. Symptoms often start earlier, hit harder and are more likely to be minimised by clinicians who have not been trained to recognise the cultural, hormonal and stress-related realities of Black women’s lives.

• She dismantles the myth that “we just cope.”

When Menopause Starves Your Hair:

The Science, the Stories and the Realities Women of Colour Live With

Every major shift in women’s health has a tipping point. A moment when what we thought we understood turns out to be incomplete. Hair loss in menopause is one of those tipping points.

Most women are told it is “just aging.” The NHS describes menopausal hair thinning as common, often offering reassurance, lifestyle tweaks or Minoxidil. It is well-intentioned, but the explanation is incomplete.

The evidence tells a more intricate story grounded in endocrinology, follicular biology and crucially, cultural experience.

What Our Men Do not Know About Menopause and Why It Matters

Let us begin with a quiet truth.

Menopause does not just happen to women. It happens to relationships.

While we are navigating hot flashes, brain fog, mood swings and a body that feels unfamiliar, our partners, especially our Black and South Asian men, are often left in the dark. Not because they do not care. But because no one ever taught them how to care through menopause.

In many households, menopause is treated like a private matter. In South Asian families, it is rarely discussed, even among women. In Black communities, it is often met with a shrug and a prayer and for men? There is no roadmap. No language. No safe space.

Hormones, Hair Follicles & Menopause:

What the Research Shows

We often talk about menopause as if it is an ending. But in truth, it is a turning point, a recalibration of the body’s chemistry, rhythm and sense of identity.

One of the most visible and misunderstood signs of this transition is hair loss. By age 50, over 40% of women experience noticeable thinning, yet most are told it is “just part of aging.” Science tells a different story.

What is really happening is a hormonal imbalance, not a slow decay. During menopause, estrogen and progesterone, the two hormones that nurture, protect and sustain hair follicles, begin to fall. Their decline leaves hair unprotected from a more dominant hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone), which miniaturises follicles and slows growth. In other words, it is not time that is taking your hair. It is chemistry.

Our Culture Has Had Little to Say About Menopause, Let’s Change That

For decades, menopause has been framed as an ending, a biological shutdown, a loss of youth or worse, a punchline. Our culture has had little to say about it beyond whispers and warnings.

But what if we imagined menopause differently? What if it marked the beginning of a new chapter,  one that liberates us from biological and societal expectations and invites us to redefine ourselves on our own terms?

Menopause is not just a medical milestone. It is a deeply personal transformation,  physical, emotional and cultural. For many women, hot flushes are one of the most visible and disruptive symptoms. But what happens after menopause? Do they ever stop and is the experience the same for everyone?

MENOPAUSE, MINDSET & ME

FROM SILENCE TO STRENGTH

Menopause is more than a life stage, it is a global turning point that reshapes health, identity, and careers.

Hosted by Sonia Brown MBE and the National Black Women’s Network (NBWN) join us for an unforgettable evening with award-winning menopause expert Lauren Chiren, Founder and CEO of Women of a Certain Stage™ From guiding the UK government’s menopause policy to consulting with FTSE 100 leaders and Fortune 500 boards, Lauren brings a depth of experience that crosses borders and cultures. She is a leading international menopause strategist known for her collaborations across cultures and continents.

🗓 Wednesday 24 September 2025

Menopause and Cultural Health Misunderstandings.

Menopause is not a single moment, it is  a deeply human transition shaped by biology, culture and the stories we tell ourselves about aging.

Too often, it is  framed as a medical problem to be “fixed,” rather than a powerful life stage to be understood. When we pause to examine the three most common physical complaints, hot flashes, weight changes and sleep disturbances, we uncover more than symptoms.

We find a narrative about stress, identity and the resilience of women’s bodies across cultures.

1. The Body’s Fire Alarm

Transforming the Menopause Journey in 7 Essential Steps with Guest Expert Guest Expert: Lauren Chiren (Founder & CEO, Women of a Certain Stage™) on Wed 24 September 2025 |  6:00–7:30 PM (UK)

Hosted by Sonia Brown MBE on behalf of the NBWN,  this webinar is more than an educational opportunity. It is an invitation to be part of a global shift. One that transforms menopause from a hidden struggle into a celebrated passage of power, purpose and possibility.

We all know menopause impacts every culture differently and understanding those nuances is key to meaningful support.

That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome Lauren Chiren, a multi-award-winning trainer and global menopause expert whose coaching and training programmes have reached women and workplaces in Africa, Singapore, Australia, Europe and beyond.

Lauren’s track record is not just international, it’s deeply cross-cultural. Her network of trained coaches spans continents, bringing insights from diverse traditions and workplace realities.

Menopause, Culture & Generations.

A Wake-Up Call for the Workplace

The conversation around menopause in the workplace is finally gaining momentum, but we must ensure it does not  leave anyone behind.

As more women speak out, we must also address the uncomfortable truths around intergenerational dynamics and cultural silence, especially in Black and minoritised communities.

The Cost of Silence

Why We Must Not Stay Silent About Menopause

Silence around menopause has never been neutral, it has been harmful. When women cannot speak openly about their experiences, they are left to manage not only physical symptoms but also the emotional weight of stigma, exclusion and misunderstanding.

For Black, Asian and ethnically diverse women, this silence can be even more profound, shaped by cultural taboos, lack of representation in health research and systemic barriers in care.

Here are three reasons why breaking the silence matters, especially for BAME women:

1. Silence Hides Unequal Realities

Your Voice. Your Story. Your Power.

Dr. (h.c.) Marva Williams is a menopause counsellor, wellness educator and founder of Shhh... Menopause Wellness.

Alongside Donna Spence and Andrea Malcolm, she is inviting you to take part in an urgent and long-overdue survey on menopause. especially for women of colour.

In 2019, undiagnosed peri-menopausal symptoms nearly cost her life. Her experience is far from unique as many women of colour have been unheard, misdiagnosed and left to suffer in silence.

This survey is your chance to share your truth about symptoms, stigma, support (or lack of it) and how menopause has affected your health, career and confidence. The results will be presented at a major event in October to push for inclusive workplace policies, better healthcare, and stronger community support.

Let's Continue the Journey!

For those who were able to join us at the last Menopause, Mindset & Me webinar on July 29th, we hope you found the session with Emma Lady both empowering and informative. Her insights into the lived experiences of Black women navigating menopause offered not only clarity but also practical tools to help us move forward with confidence and self-compassion.

We understand that not everyone could attend. We understand, life gets busy and sometimes things come up. But we don’t want you to miss out. Emma has kindly shared the slides from the session, so you can still benefit from the key takeaways and resources.

You will find them below, ready for you to download and reflect on in your own time.

Menopause Support Starts With Real Understanding

Supporting someone through menopause isn’t just about knowing the symptoms it is about understanding the full experience. The sleepless nights, brain fog, mood shifts and physical changes aren’t isolated events. They’re deeply connected, often showing up in ways that affect confidence, relationships, work and wellbeing all at once.

This is why menopause support must be grounded in empathy, knowledge and the courage to have sensitive conversations. Conversations that don’t assume, judge or dismiss but instead hold space with care. It is  about knowing when to listen, when to offer practical tools and when to guide someone toward professional help.

For those supporting employees, clients or community members, having clear frameworks and practical strategies isn’t optional, it is  transformational. You shift from feeling unsure or powerless to being an active support, someone who can advocate for adjustments, offer immediate help and build a culture where…

Menopause Is Changing, But Are the Systems Around Us Keeping Up?

We are witnessing a powerful shift.

Menopause is no longer being swept under the rug. Women are demanding better care, real understanding and compassionate support and they’re right to do so.

From personalised hormone therapy to digital health tools, emerging trends in menopause care are offering new hope.

Most People Ask the Wrong Question About Menopause. Here's Why That Needs to Change.

When a woman opens up about menopause, the question is often “is it really that bad?”

The truth?

That question silences, shames and oversimplifies what is a deeply physiological, psychological and social transition, one that affects millions, yet remains misunderstood across families, workplaces and even healthcare systems.

So the real question we should be asking is “how can we guide someone through menopause with confidence and compassion?”