The times – are they a’changing?

It’s been a while since I binge-watched a TV series, but Channel 4’s ‘The Change’ captivated me this week. The sitcom, written by comedian Bridget Christie, tells the tale of Linda, a menopausal mother on a quest to reclaim her sense of self.

When Linda starts forgetting the words for everyday objects, she suspects early onset dementia and books a doctor’s appointment.  

 “How are your moods?” asks her male GP. “FINE. How are yours?” she snarls. “Any irritability or rage?” “Nothing unjustified”, she snaps back. It doesn’t take the GP long to discern the truth. Linda is not losing her mind but instead navigating the labyrinth of menopause. 

The narrative that unfolds is a joyful celebration of womanhood, the Forest of Dean and eccentricity. 

It shouldn’t be the case, but it’s so refreshing to see a menopausal woman as the heroine in her own story rather than the butt of the joke. Linda is the small-screen role model midlife women have been waiting for. It’s a shame we had to wait so long, but better late than never. 

So consider this a public service announcement: add ‘The Change’ to your watchlist immediately. If you’re not a woman facing menopause, you will almost certainly know one. And while it delivers on the laughs, it also gives valuable insight into the psyche of a woman facing down a seismic hormonal shift – and all the physical and mental challenges that come with it. 

It does feel like menopause is having a moment, doesn’t it? From Davina McCall and Mariella Frostrup to bestselling book lists, it’s almost as if we’ve only just discovered this facet of womanhood. 

“Honestly, you can’t move for HRT chat these days”, as my friend Sarah puts it.

I think we can agree this is a GOOD THING™, can’t we? It’s about bloody time (no pun intended) we started talking about it. When I was a child, my aunties would speak in hushed tones about “the change,” which sounded ominous, like something to be feared. Nobody ever sat me down and explained this fact of life to me. I never saw women in TV and films going through it. It was like this big dirty secret lingering somewhere over the horizon. So, it’s great that the conversation is happening. 

However, we mustn’t mistake a surge in societal chatter for substantial social progress on the subject. Take the #MeToo movement as an example – while it sparked much-needed dialogue, it did not eradicate sexual harassment. A conversation is only ever the beginning; that’s why it’s crucial to maintain momentum.

In the week our NHS celebrated its 75th birthday, it saddens me to write that women in Wales continue to suffer needlessly because of patchy (and sometimes non-existent) healthcare services. You have to wonder whether adequate services for an equivalent universal male condition (god forbid) would be equally underfunded.

For example, there are just two specialist clinics for women going through the menopause in Wales. If you’re not lucky enough to live in the Cwm Taf or Aneurin Bevan health board areas, your options are limited: pay to see a private practitioner or suffer in silence. The fact that HRT – a potentially transformative treatment – is free in Wales is commendable. Yet, the numerous obstacles between a menopausal woman and this life-changing prescription could fill another column.

There is so much work to be done.

How about we start by providing specialist menopause training for GPs and practice nurses? Given that all women will go through the menopause, it’s hardly a radical idea. 

As well as being the right thing to do, it makes good economic sense to widen access to specialist services that help women manage menopause symptoms. 

Around 47 per cent of working women in Wales are over 50, meaning around 216,000 workers are at an age where they’re likely to be experiencing the peri-menopause or the menopause. Six in ten working women say the menopause has negatively impacted them at work; one in ten leave their jobs completely, while one in five do not seek the promotions they deserve.

A recent report by the cross-party House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee concluded that employers’ lack of support for menopausal symptoms is pushing “highly skilled and experienced” women out of work, with knock-on effects on the gender pay gap, pension gap and the number of women in senior leadership positions. Chair of the Women and Equalities Committee, Caroline Nokes MP, said:


“Menopause is inevitable. The steady haemorrhage of talented women from our workforce, however, is not. Stigma, shame and dismissive cultures can, and must, be dismantled. It is imperative that we build workplaces – and a society – which not only supports those going through the menopause, but encourages some of the most experienced and skilled workers in our economy to thrive.”  

The silver lining is that plenty of help and support exists for employers that want to improve their practices. The TUC in Wales has done excellent work in this space, developing a downloadable toolkit to assist in creating genuinely menopause-friendly work environments.

In the meantime, you can raise awareness by binge-watching ‘The Change’ and telling everyone you know to do the same. You can thank me later.