Breeda Bermingham thinks that Midlife Women Rock (and I have to say I agree!)

Breeda Bermingham is an award-winning menopause coach on a mission to change the global story for menopausal and midlife women. Breeda coaches women individually and in group settings focusing on symptom management along with the positive aspects of menopause transition. She is a staunch believer that the taboo around menopause continues to limit and disempower women in their middle years, and needs to be removed in order to enable women to thrive. She’s also the best-selling author of  “Midlife Women Rock - A Menopause Story for a New Generation.”

We talk about how our generation is finally bringing about the tipping point for societal change to break through the shame, stigma, and taboo surrounding menopause. Back in 1910, the average age of reaching menopause was 56, with an average life expectancy of 58, so it’s clear to see where the correlation between ‘old age’ and menopause is rooted - but now with many of us spending upwards of 30 years post-menopause, that narrative is both inaccurate and damaging. Midlife women have so much to offer in terms of their creativity and their potential for leadership. 

Breeda and her fellow campaigners have succeeded in bringing the topic of menopause mainstream in Ireland with the launch in October 2022 of the nationwide education and awareness campaign which resulted from the government’s 2019 Women’s Health Taskforce. 

Since then much has changed globally of course around the narrative, with more of us sharing our stories. That said, we still have a long way to go in breaking taboos - most critically in the workplace - where a few courageous voices sharing their experiences can make a huge difference to creating a culture where the topic is as normalized as any other life transition. Breeda is leading the way in telling a new, more positive story about the second half of women’s lives, one where our changing hormones allow us to recalibrate, refocus, and tap into our full power. 

You can find Breeda at https://midlifewomenrockproject.com/ and her book at https://midlifewomenrockproject.com/book/ 

 

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