HOW IS MENOPAUSE handled in this country? Where does the shame and stigma originate from? And what more can be done… 

All of these questions, and more, are being tackled in a new TG4 documentary hosted by journalist and broadcaster, Gráinne Seoige.

In ‘Meanapás: Meon Nua’, Gráinne meets with women across the country to discuss their personal stories around menopause.

Gráinne told The Journal what we can expect from the hour-long series: 

We’re looking to change the conversation, to bring a new perspective and take away the shame and silence around it so women can go through this natural part of their lives in safety and in health with support and understanding.

Gráinne will look at the various challenges associated with the menopause, one being the stigma that’s associated with this inevitable and natural event for women: 

Everything to do with female sexual health has had stigma attached to it, in the last few decades we’ve been trying to break that and menopause is one of those rights of passage that women go through that we have to shine a light on. The women I spoke to in the documentary all said the same thing to me; as menopause and middle age approached that they started to feel invisible pushed aside in society that they started to feel useless, I don’t think that’s right. 

In the documentary, Gráinne also examines workplaces in Ireland and talks to companies leading the way when it comes to providing support for women going through the menopause: 

We met a woman who went through an early menopause, she came through it and how her company worked with her was a breath of fresh air. Women of that age have education as well as experience, they bring a lot of emotional maturity to their jobs and companies like Lidl are keen to keep them in the workforce. Hopefully this inspires other workplaces to take the lead as not every company out there is as educated as some. 

As Gráinne explained, this is not a women’s issue, it’s a public health issue that needs to be addressed, and she’s looking for a national government information campaign on the menopause so that every household in the country has information on what the menopause is.

Gráinne is encouraging everyone – not just women – to watch this documentary to learn a little bit more about the women you love in your life. 

Women are incredibly powerful and incredibly important to society at whatever age. Women going through menopause need love and support around them and should not feel silenced. “

 Meanapás: Meon Nua will air on TG4 at 9.30pm on the 2^nd of November.