Group tackles South Asian menopause 'taboo'

South Asian Voices Bristol CIC hosts workshops and panels on issues around the menopause

A community group is encouraging conversations about menopause in the South Asian community in a bid to tackle the stigma around its effects.

South Asian Voices Bristol CIC has launched its 'Empowering women through menopause' project with help from the National Lottery's Community Fund.

The group was founded by vlogger Sheetal Jethwa who struggled with the impact the menopause had on her own life.

She said talking about symptoms and the knock-on effect on mental health was "often seen as a weakness" in her community and she hopes the group can help women with similar experiences.

Ms Jethwa said she struggled after a thyroid operation in 2022.

She said she was "crying uncontrollably all the time" and even thought about taking her own life.

Now 45, she wants to get people in her community talking about the menopause - a subject she said was "very much a taboo".

She said: "Reaching out to others saved my life and I wish I had done it sooner so now I want to help women who need that support."

Ms Jethwa thinks some South Asian women may have "inherited trauma" when it comes to opening up about menopause.

Sheetal Jethwa said the group had already received a positive response

The group has been commissioned to do six podcasts and also workshops focusing on the impact of menopause.

They will also hold a speaker's panel on Saturday at Easton Community Centre.

Ms Jethwa said she had received "really amazing feedback" from the group's early workshops and she hoped the pilot project would continue to be successful.

The panel event is free and open to anyone with an interest in learning about the menopause.