Policy Brief No. 2 / 2025 (September 2025)
This policy brief represents WBI’s participation in a year-long national Community Participatory Action Research programme. Authored by Anita David and Fatma Tuylu, this study seeks to fill critical knowledge gaps and advocate for inclusive, informed, and culturally sensitive approaches to menopause care that truly reflect the lived experiences of migrant women in Portsmouth, UK.
You can read it online in full screen mode or download the PDF.
Conducted from October 2024 to September 2025, this policy brief investigates the barriers migrant women face in accessing menopause support, with a particular focus on cultural taboos, language challenges, limited healthcare access, and low awareness of available resources. The idea for this research emerged in May 2024 during a community food event that included an information session on menopause. Conversations with participants revealed a clear need to explore this issue further. Using qualitative methods, including a questionnaire, focus group and interviews, we gathered insights from women of diverse backgrounds.
Despite cultural reluctance to discuss menopause, many participants shared their experiences once trust was established. Key findings reveal that menopause remains a hidden and stigmatised topic, shaped by generational silences, misinformation, and the absence of culturally specific terminology and resources.
Women described emotional and medical isolation, confusion around treatments like Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), and inconsistent guidance from healthcare providers. This study highlights the urgent need for culturally sensitive support systems, improved communication between patients and doctors, and a broader societal shift toward open, informed discussions about menopause and ageing in migrant communities.
The Community Participatory Action Research (CPAR) programme was supported by the University of Reading, Scottish Community Development Centre and Institute of Voluntary Action Research. Special thanks to our CPAR mentors Dr Esther Oenga and Paul Nelis for their invaluable input and ongoing encouragement that helped us shape our research.
We are deeply thankful to NHS England South East, whose financial and institutional backing made this research possible.
“很高興在台灣政府公布《企業與人權國家行動計畫》之後，有這樣一份以台灣為出發點的研究成果出版，詳細地分析「企業」與「人權」間的鏈結，為「尊重」人權的步伐在台灣踏實紮根。”
“It is great to have a research report like this that starts with Taiwan and is framed with the local Taiwanese context in mind, to analyse to such detail the link between “business” and “human rights…This report is pivotal in showing that the corporate responsibility to respect human rights has taken root in Taiwan.”
– 邱羽凡副教授 Prof. Yu-Fan Chiu
