02/04/2024
FWRM Launches Research on Menopause – Lack of Information and Awareness an Urgent Issue
A lack of open discussions and awareness on sexual and reproductive health past the reproductive stage is found to be one of the biggest challenges for Fijian women going through menopause.
This was one of the highlights of the discussions during the open panel facilitated by the Fiji Women's Rights Movement today after the launch of our latest research titled “The M Word: Ending the Silence! Fijian Women's Perceptions and Experiences, their journey to and during menopause".
The research, supported by the Asia Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) depicted the experiences and perceptions of women on their journeys to and during menopause.
Another issue raised by panelist Maria Nailevu, from International Planned Parenthood Fiji was that women always put the needs of their own families first and most often their own issues were neglected.
"There are high societal expectations on women – we come home and we still have things to attend to and many times our health and security is not a priority. Women play a huge role in taking care of others and rarely are we asked, 'How are you? Are you okay?", she said.
BIRTH (Building Innate Resilience Through Hearts) Fiji's Nisha Satib Khan said the need for more discussions on the impact of menopause on women's mental health was needed to help women cope with the changes they undergo.
Ministry of Health's Doctor Rachel Devi was also part of the panel and acknowledged the research launched as evidence-based recommendations that would assist the ministry in the development of health programs that would support women past the reproductive stage. She also reiterated the urgency of collaboration between all stakeholders to advance the progressing work around women's health.
FWRM's Executive Director Nalini Singh moderated the panel and said, "We place a strong emphasis on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and menstrual health from a lifetime perspective. Talking about menstruation and menopause in the same breath is essential if we are to overcome stigma and taboos and address the significant gaps in ensuring that women's health is prioritised."
The interactive panel discussion also included recommendations on the design of policies and activities and availing platforms and opportunities for more discussions on women's menstrual health and menopause.
United Nations Population Fund’s (UNFPA – Asia Pacific) Dr Leigh-Ashley Lipscomb at the opening of the launch event this morning said that such spaces were vital for the full realisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and public health.
"Menopause needs to be removed from the shadows of mystique and afterthought, and understood with clarity by policy makers, health providers, employers, community and family members, and women ourselves as another stage of life that can bring opportunity to thrive – and not as a full stop or something to fear," she said.
Some of the key findings from the report included that about fifty percent of women surveyed reported cultural and societal barriers as limitations in open discussions on menopause and around twenty-eight percent of the respondents stated that they received little to no information at all.
FWRM acknowledges the significant contribution from everyone that participated in the survey. The research is foundational and aims at encouraging stakeholders and allies to take the work forward in gathering data on the issue of menopause and its unique impacts on women.
The research can be accessed here: https://l1nq.com/H5hMK
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For media queries, please contact FWRM Communications Officer Serelisoni Moceica on 8677330 or email