A new campaign is aiming to break the silence around the menopause in farming, with a wellbeing charity launching a dedicated initiative to raise awareness and provide support across the agricultural community.
Timed to coincide with Menopause Awareness Month and World Menopause Day on 18 October, the programme will feature podcasts, blogs, live events, personal stories and expert advice.
Launched by Farmstrong Scotland, female farmers and crofters will be sharing their experiences in a bid to spark conversations in homes, workplaces and communities.
Central to the campaign is the launch of a comprehensive menopause guide, including symptom advice, myth-busting, and practical resources such as “things men ought to know”.
The guide has been developed with Farmstrong’s newest wellbeing specialist, Dr Heather Currie MBE, one of the UK’s leading gynaecologists and founder of Menopause Matters.
Dr Currie said it was vital to show that the menopause is far more complex than the stereotype of hot flushes. “The menopause is individual to everyone who experiences it; symptoms can be different, lifestyles are different, and the impact is different,” she explained.
She added that while men often try to “fix things”, the best support they can offer is simply to be present and understanding.
The campaign’s podcast series Blether Together will feature crofter Sally Crowe from Caithness and farmer Lesley Mitchell from the Borders, both sharing their own journeys.
Later in October, Killin farmer Christine Cameron will speak candidly about her perimenopause experience in her forties, describing struggles with fatigue and forgetfulness.
“It’s not about asking men to do everything for menopausal women on the farm or croft,” she said, “but if we can help them gain a better understanding of why we might need a bit more time or react a certain way to some things.”
She stressed how working with livestock can intensify pressures: “Menopause symptoms can really exaggerate that sort of thing, so patience is needed on both sides."
Alix Ritchie, director at Farmstrong Scotland, said the campaign was born from the need to address a subject often overlooked in farming communities.
“More than a third of the agricultural workforce in Scotland are female, plus countless wives and partners who support farm operations, and one hundred percent of them will at some point go through the menopause,” she explained.
“Providing a platform for those peer-to-peer stories to be told and shared with the whole community is so important.”
To bring the discussion to life, Farmstrong will host Blether Together Live at Guardswell Farm, Inchture, where Sarah Stephen will be joined by guests including Caroline Millar for an evening of conversation, food and peer-to-peer support.
Tickets for Blether Together Live on 16 October are free and available via Farmstrong Scotland’s website.
