Assistant Minister for Women, Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health
For a long time, menopause and perimenopause have felt like a secret society.
We all know the stereotypes, the jokes about hot flushes, the idea that perimenopause and menopause is something that happens to grey-haired women later in life.
But in reality, the stigma attached to something that is completely natural has meant that we have failed to acknowledge what is happening all around us; in our families, among our friends, in our workplaces and even in our own lives.
Women experiencing perimenopause and menopause are raising families, building careers, caring for ageing parents, running businesses and showing up every day for the people around them.
Somewhere between the stigma and stereotypes, we've forgotten to have open and honest conversations about what is happening to half the population. To say out loud 'this is what it looks like!'
The result is that too many women have been left feeling unprepared and completely mystified by what is going on with their body and with a growing feeling of anger that no one gave them a heads up.
Like many women, nobody every told me about perimenopause until I started to piece the puzzle together for myself. I hadn't even heard of the word until a few years ago.
I knew about menopause. I knew the stereotypes. But nobody explained that it could begin years earlier, or the many different ways it could start to change your life.
It's no wonder so many women tell me they felt blindsided when it started to happen to them.
Not because they hadn't heard of menopause. But because nobody had really explained what it might look like, how it might feel, or when it might begin.
In my role as Assistant Minister for Women and Health, I've had countless conversations with women about their experiences of perimenopause and menopause. I've also had these conversations with friends, colleagues and women in my own life.
Those conversations helped shape Australia's first national Menopause and Perimenopause Awareness Campaign, which is designed to help women better understand this stage of life, recognise the signs and symptoms, and know where to find support.
One of the things that struck me throughout the development of the campaign was just how many women shared the same feeling; they thought it was just them.
They thought they were failing, falling apart, or somehow losing themselves. That they had become less capable at work, their relationships with family and friends had changed or it was just normal to feel so much pain and tiredness.
Many didn't realise that symptoms like anxiety, brain fog, disrupted sleep, joint pain, mood changes or overwhelming fatigue could be linked to perimenopause.
For too long, a lack of information and a culture of silence have left women feeling confused, dismissed and unsupported.
One of the things I loved most about this campaign, and the conversations we had with women and clinicians as it was developed, was the desire to approach menopause differently.
Because while perimenopause and menopause are serious health issues, talking about them doesn't always have to be serious. Humour can be a powerful way to break down stigma and start conversations.
The campaign is designed to help women recognise themselves in other women's experiences and remind them they aren't alone. To talk about menopause on national television. To show women (and our loved ones) that there is support if you are waking up at 3am.
The more we normalise these conversations around the kitchen table, in workplaces, with our girlfriends over a coffee and in conversations with health professionals, the easier it becomes for women to recognise symptoms and seek support.
It's about making sure women have access to trusted, evidence-based information and a place to learn from other women's experiences.
We know perimenopause and menopause affect every woman differently and can have a significant impact on health, wellbeing and daily life. That's why it was so important this campaign featured real women sharing their stories to help break down the stigma that still exists.
Importantly, this campaign is not happening in isolation.
It builds on the Albanese Labor Government's landmark women's health reforms, including new Medicare-supported menopause health assessments, cheaper menopause treatments through the PBS, expanded support through Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Clinics, and work underway to improve education and awareness for health professionals.
Because women told us they wanted their health taken seriously. They told us they wanted better information, better care and better support.
My hope is that women sitting at home watching TV or scrolling socials, see this campaign and recognise themselves in the stories being shared.
That it gives them the confidence to speak with a health professional, seek support and know they are not alone.
Because menopause shouldn't be a secret society anymore.
