Who Gets Gets ToTell The Story of Menopause?

For far too long, the story of menopause has been told from a narrow lens.

It’s often white.

Often Western.

Often clinical.

But menopause isn’t a one-note experience. It is diverse, layered, cultural, spiritual, and deeply personal.

So we must ask ourselves a powerful and uncomfortable question:

Who gets to tell the story of menopause?

And whose stories are still being silenced?

The Problem with the Single Story

Most menopause narratives in the media, research, and health spaces are framed by a single perspective—typically based on data, symptoms, and experiences of white, middle-class Western women.

But when the story is only told from one viewpoint, it becomes incomplete.

It doesn’t reflect how menopause is experienced by Black African women who carry cultural expectations to stay strong and silent.

It doesn’t speak to South Asian women navigating menopause in multi-generational households, where privacy is a luxury.

This single story leads to:

🔘Medical misdiagnoses because “your symptoms don’t fit the standard profile.”

🔘Emotional isolation because “no one around me is talking about this.”

🔘Cultural confusion because “my faith and culture say one thing, the health system says another.”

Why Representation in Menopause Matters

When you don't see yourself in the narrative, you feel unseen in the experience.

Representation is not just about imagery or inclusion for the sake of ticking boxes—it’s about:

🔘Access to the right care

🔘Understanding of your unique challenges

🔘Having your cultural and spiritual values respected.

🔘Being empowered, not dismissed

🔘Telling more diverse stories helps:

🔘Women of colour realise they are not alone

🔘Health professionals become more culturally competent

🔘Communities break the cycle of silence and shame

🔘Future generations enter this stage informed and empowered

We Must Write Our Own Stories

We cannot wait for others to give us the microphone. We must speak.

Our stories are valid.

Our experiences are worthy.

Our voices are needed.

And storytelling isn’t just about memoirs or blogs (though those are powerful!). It’s about everyday women choosing to share what this journey has been like—from hot flushes and hormonal shifts to spiritual awakening and rediscovering purpose.

It's about reclaiming ownership over our narrative.

Faith, Culture, and the Menopause Story

As Black African women, many of us were raised to “pray through it,” “keep it quiet,” or “serve through the storm.”

But silence is not a solution.

And suffering in isolation is not strength.

Faith-based women must know that they can hold scripture in one hand and solutions in the other. That it’s possible to honour God and honour their body at the same time. That their story—spiritual, physical, emotional—is part of a bigger testimony that can help others heal too.

Let’s Pass the Mic—and Keep It Passed

So here’s the call to action:

If you're a midlife woman navigating menopause, your voice matters.

If you're a coach, practitioner, or advocate—amplify voices that haven’t been heard.

If you’re in leadership—create space for diverse conversations.

Because until everyone’s menopause story is told, none of us are fully seen.

So I ask you again:

Who gets to tell the story of menopause? Who gets to tell your story?

Let’s make sure the answer isn’t limited.

Let’s write a story rich in colour, culture, courage, and community.

Are you ready to share your story—or amplify someone else's? Let’s open the space together.

#MoreThanHotFlushes #MenopauseVoices #DecoloniseMenopause #BlackWomensHealth #SheThrives #MenopauseMatters #MidlifeUnmuted #HealthEquity