Let’s Talk Menopause—Loudly, Clearly, and with Purpose

Imagine a world where women’s health is not tethered to their fertility but is instead celebrated at every stage of their lives.

For generations, stigma and shame have contributed to a veil of silence around a natural life transition that touches half the population—menopause—despite its profound social, economic, and health implications. While women’s experiences in menopause are diverse, one aspect remains constant: the urgent need for recognition, support, and policies that ensure no woman navigates this life stage in silence or without care.

On August 20, 2025, ICRW Africa and Reproductive Health Network Kenya hosted Kenya’s first-ever National Conference on Menopause. This milestone marked a turning point in our country’s history, bringing dignity, awareness, and urgency to a long-overdue conversation. In a landmark first, Kenya’s Ministry of Health recognized menopause as a neglected public health issue and committed to developing national policy guidelines and convening an expert committee—creating a rare policy window that demands immediate, coordinated action to secure lasting change.

Menopause is not a quiet footnote in a woman’s life. It is a defining passage that needs visibility and understanding. The cost of silence and inaction is a diminished quality of life for women. Further, this issue extends beyond women’s health. It affects families, workplaces, and economies, and should be a public priority.

As we continue to break the stigma and challenge the status quo, there are three commitments that we can make to build systems that support women at every stage of their lives:

• Listen: Center the lived experiences of women in all their diversity.
• Learn: Equip healthcare providers with the information and tools that they need to provide comprehensive healthcare throughout women’s lives.
• Lead: Integrate menopause in policies and programs, and pilot and scale workplace policies that enable women to thrive.

Together, we must raise awareness and demand action—because menopause is everybody’s business.

In case you missed the conference, check out what we had to say below:

• Redefining Menopause: A Call for Visibility and Dignity
• Normalising the Menopause Conversation: A Midwife’s Call to Action
• Menopause in Kenya: A Public Health, Economic, and Human Rights Issue
• Menopause, Rights and Dignity
• Breaking the Silence: Why Kenya Must Talk Openly about Menopause
• Why Employers Must Talk About Menopause | Breaking the Silence on Workplace Support in Kenya
• Why the Media is Silent on Menopause | Breaking the Stigma and Telling Health Stories
• Menopause, Sex, and Stigma: Why Women’s Midlife Health is Ignored
• Women’s Health Cafe
• The Psychological Journey through Menopause
• Hormone Replacement Therapy in Menopause Management