Image source, bbc

That's all from Holyrood Live on Tuesday 21 May 2019.

Tackling the stigma and taboo around the menopause has been discussed in a government debate for the first time in the UK.

Scotland's Older People and Equalities Minister Christina McKelvie told MSPs she was proud that Holyrood was discussing the menopause publicly.

The minister detailed Scottish government plans to fund a feasibility study into a Centre for Flexible Work in Scotland, another UK first.

She called on all workplaces to develop policies to support women going through the menopause, adding the Scottish government was currently reviewing its own policies for staff.

MSPs unanimously backed the motion calling for an end to the stigma that is associated with menopause.

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Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop says: "Museums allow us to communicate across time and culture."

They have always had a special place in our hearts, Ms Hyslop tells the chamber.

The culture secretary says there are new things happening in terms of the vibrancy and ambition of local places to have museums.

She highlights the dynamism in the sector and the work of Museums Galleries Scotland, external.

The opening of three new galleries at the National Museum of Scotland completes an £80m makeover of the site.

Much of the 13,000-strong collection on display has not been seen by the public in a generation.

Museum director Gordon Rintoul told BBC Scotland that the restoration work is designed to bring the location into the 21st Century.

Image source, VisitScotland

V&A Dundee has been shortlisted for a prestigious award.

The museum is one of five finalists for the Art Fund Museum of the Year 2019.

The award celeberates innovation and achievement in museums and galleries across the UK, with the winner receiving £100,000.

The other finalists are HMS Caroline in Belfast; Nottingham Contemporary, Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford and St Fagans National Museum of History, near Cardiff.

Read more here.

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Six Scottish attractions have reported visitor numbers in excess of one million last year.

The most popular - the National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle - each saw more than two million visits.

The other sites reporting at least one million visitors were the Scottish National Gallery, St Giles' Cathedral, Glasgow's Riverside Museum and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions compiled the figures.

Read more here.

SNP MSP Colin Beattie says he has always been passionate about museums and galleries - and not just those in Scotland.

The Riverside Museum in Glasgow celebrates the city's rich traditions he states.

He also praises the Highland Folk Museum which showcases the life of Highlanders of generations past and also offers outreach programmes.

International Museum Day not only celebrates museums and galleries but it helps to inform our future, he concludes.

International Museum Day has been celebrated since 1977 to highlight their importance in cultural exchange.

It was celebrated on Saturday 18 May this year.

The theme was "Museums as Cultural Hubs: The future of tradition".

It is organised by the International Council of Museums, and museums around the world participate.

Read more here. , external

SNP MSP Colin Beattie is marking International Museum Day for this evening's member's debate.

Here is his motion...

Image source, Scottish Parliament

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MSPs unanimously back the government motion calling for an end to the stigma of the menopause.

Image source, SP

Two years ago, Annabelle's periods stopped. Since then she's been told she has early menopause and found out she won't be able to have children.

Only one in 10,000 women under the age of 20 are diagnosed with early menopause.

Despite being one of the unfortunate few, Annabelle says she knows "there are people going through worse". She's told her story as part of the BBC's Young Reporter project.

Image source, Getty Images

For some women, the menopause and the years leading up to it, can be a time of troubling emotional and physical symptoms.

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) eases symptoms like hot flushes and sweats, but it's not suitable for all women.

Now, a small study published in BMJ Open, external suggests acupuncture may be worth considering.

The Danish study found that five weeks of acupuncture in women with menopausal symptoms reduced hot flushes, night sweats, sleep disturbances and emotional problems.

Read more here.

Male and female university staff are being encouraged to say the word "menopause" three times a day to help remove the taboo and normalise it.

Dr Andrea Davies from the University of Leicester also wants women to be able to confidently announce in a meeting when they are having a hot flush.

Last year the university became the first in the UK to introduce its own menopause policy.

Dr Davies said there is a lot of ignorance about the topic.

Read more.

Former BBC news presenter Jackie Bird says the menopause left her lacking confidence and changed her life "in ways you can never imagine".

She made the comment while speaking to BBC Radio Scotland's Mornings: With Stephen Jardine programme.

The 56-year-old believes there are not enough conversations about the issue.

Ms Bird also thinks there needs to be more programmes on the subject, and claims she was met with "sniggers" from BBC bosses when she suggested a series.

Read more here.

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Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur congratulates the minister for making today the first time the menopause has been debated at Holyrood.

Mr McArthur accepts there is a responsibility to listen, respond and support women going through the menopause and to lift the stigma around it.

The Lib Dem MSP says: "Much more needs to be done in areas where this parliament has responsibility."

That includes with GPs, improving advice and support for women with disabilities as highlighted by Engender and formulating workplace policies for the menopause he says.

Image source, BBC Three

Most women don't even think about the hormonal roller coaster that is the menopause until they hit their mid-40s, with 51 being the average age for women's periods to actually stop., external

But Adele Stevens is dealing with hot flushes, mood swings and the end of her fertility aged just 25.

To make matters worse, she’s going through it at the same time as her mum, who is in her 50s.

"All my friends are having babies at the moment and I still want another one, but I don’t know if it’s possible now," Adele says.

Read more.

Green MSP Alison Johnstone says it is important that menopause is no longer an invisible part of women's lives.

We should not assume that all people experiencing menopause are of a certain age, she adds.

Transgender and non-binary people may also be impacted so it is important support is available for all who need it, the Green MSP highlights.

Ms Johnstone also calls for more information to be given to people to ensure they can make an informed choice about treatment.

Women must feel confident and supported in the workplace, she adds.

Menopause awareness campaigner Meg Mathews says she had 24 of the symptoms that can affect women going through the menopause.

She first realised what was happening when she chatted to a woman at an AA meeting.

Now she wants to raise awareness of NHS menopause clinics, where women can get help.

Ms Lennon brings up the fact it is almost a year to the day since the Bank of England's deputy governor had to admit his comments that the UK economy is entering a "menopausal" era "conveyed ageist and sexist overtones".

Ben Broadbent used the phrase in a Daily Telegraph interview, external about economies that were, he said, "past their peak, and no longer so potent".

But in an internal message seen by the BBC he said he knew some bank staff had been offended and he was "truly sorry".

Ms Lennon goes on to says she is optimistic Scotland is making progress on the way it deals with the menopause.