Menopause & She
Highlighting the experience of Menopause in the Social and Workplace context
In case you are wondering why the title of this proposal doesn’t sound grammatically correct, it’s because it isn’t. But I chose to do so in order to highlight an observation. Our lives shouldn’t be determined by our illness, leave alone the conditions that we go through on a daily basis and have no control over. I take pride in being a woman, in being raised by a strong woman, and fortunate enough to always have come across resilient women as my mentors. But ever since I started to explore the process of Menopause, I have only read about its reign over the lives of the women and hence the title focuses on Menopause first and then She.
Natural Menopause is a biological state where women usually between the ages of 45–55, stop menstruating which essentially means that their natural reproductive life has come to an end. For some women, the change in hormonal levels and loss of reproductive ability can be deeply felt. There are over 13 million menopausal women in the UK. With 8 out of 10 menopausal women already in the workforce, they are now the fastest-growing demographic in the workforce in the UK (Women’s Health Concern, 2017).
However, looking at the Menopause Workplace statistics, over 94% of these women shared that the symptoms of menopause resulted in a negative impact on their work and 76% of women shared that they had not received any support from their workplace during these times ( Newson, L. Lewis, R. 2019). Not only so, but women also complained of losing self-confidence, feeling isolated, depressed, anxious, and ultimately taking a step back from work. As women we embrace all the challenges we receive with open arms, while it is difficult to even stand upright in this world and demand equality, I believe that women embarking on their journey of Menopause deserve better.
Rationale
This subject is close to my heart not only because I am a woman who grew up with PCOS which impacted my education and self-confidence for years but because of its invisibility to others around me. My mother quit her job over 5 years ago. She was a Vice Principal and a teacher for over 20 years. So whenever I asked her about her previous job, she would simply talk about it being stressful and that she needed a break. Although ever since she resigned, she has taken up more projects, teaching yoga, conducting online classes on nutrition, and started her own brand. As a naive daughter, I failed to connect the dots of her feeling anxious and stressed as symptoms of menopause. I dismissed them just like her employer did. She received no form of care or support from her workplace. So as I continue to explore this topic, I asked myself,
How can I make it easier for menopausal women to pursue their life and career as they imagined it to be?
How can I help women to feel comfortable sharing their Menopause experience with their employer? How can I reduce the stigma and develop stronger workplace policies for menopause?
With this in mind, I would like to understand the current ecosystem of support around women, particularly around their workplace. I would also like to understand their challenges around coping with the initial symptoms of menopause and study the current workplace policies for women.
Methodology
As an avid believer and practitioner of human-centered design, I will adapt the Double Diamond process coined by the Design Council, which talks about the importance of convergent and divergent thinking, to structure each phase of my project (Design Council,2005)
Starting with the Discover phase, I would like to start this project by doing user research: conduct interviews, create a journey map to make myself aware of the entire process and build an ecosystem map. Further, moving to Define I would analyze the research and choose a specific problem area. Then using co-creation activities I would ideate and iterate different concepts to deliver a cohesive service concept. Lastly, I would test the idea and identify the best ways for implementation.
While it is not a negative experience for all women, some actually shared that it brought them freedom, self-awareness, and growth. I would like to develop an effective service that supports the menopausal journey of women and explore ways in which we can aid women going through their personal journey of loss, adjustment, and self-discovery.
References
Design Council (2005) What is the framework for innovation? Design council’s evolved double Diamond. Available at: https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/news-opinion/what-framework-innovation-design-councils-evolved-double-diamond (Accessed: 10th June 2021)
Women’s Health Concern (2017) New survey highlights impact of the menopause on every aspect of women’s lives in the UK. Available at: https://www.womens-health-concern.org/2017/10/new-survey-highlights-impact-menopause-every-aspect-womens-lives-uk/ [Accessed: 13th June 2021]
Newson, L. Lewis, R. (2019) Menopause at Work: a survey to look at the impact of menopausal and perimenopausal symptoms upon women in the workplace. Available at : https://d2931px9t312xa.cloudfront.net/menopausedoctor/files/information/323/Lewis%20%20Newson%20BMS%20poster%20SCREEN%20(1).pdf [Accessed : 13th June 2021]
