Forums to compassionately empower women to positively and pro-actively manage menopausal transition.
The Mid Life Women Rock café has been up and running monthly in Waterford since September 2019.We meet on the first Tuesday of each month at the coffee shop at Waterford Health Park, Waterford city, thanks to the support of the medical staff and Edel Roe. Women share stories, support, laughter, and learn from each other in this safe space. I have been researching menopause for almost three years. I facilitate the café informing and educating women in order to enable and empower them to make the best decision for their menopause journey. It is wonderful to see women access their own agency, feeling empowered and in control, deciding what bests suits their needs during this life stage. The cafes are growing in numbers monthly with many women returning again and again supporting new members. Women are powerful when they support other women. It was wonderful to have the “Midlife Mermaids” join us this month, these are a group of ladies who sea swim at Clonea beach in west Waterford and as many of you know the power of the sea and being out in nature is scientifically proven to reduce symptoms during menopause. My vision would be to see the café here in Waterford continue to grow, with cafes eventually appearing in every county in Ireland. Women deserve to have a safe space to discuss menopause, a subject which has for too long been misunderstood and associated with predominantly negative narratives. There are many positives, opportunities and second chances for women at this time in their lives, the media need to be challenged to focus more on these narratives. As a member of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland academy 2019 the support and mentorship received in setting up this initiative has been invaluable.