Farmstrong Scotland, the wellbeing charity for farmers and crofters, has been shortlisted for an award at an international ceremony later this month.
The ‘Let’s Talk About Menopause’ campaign featured the lived experiences of multiple women in the industry through podcasts, written features, new resources, a webinar and blogs, all designed to help the agricultural community better understand the menopause and its impact on farming homes and workplaces, for both women and men.
The campaign, which launched during Menopause Awareness Month last October, also included expert input from Dr Heather Currie MBE, one of the country’s leading gynaecologists specialising in the menopause.
“It was such a privilege to be part of this fantastic campaign which reached women in an industry which may not have had these conversations previously,” Dr Currie explained.
“Understanding the menopause transition, what happens, when, why and what options are available to help manage it, is everyone’s business. The phenomenal response to the campaign highlighted a previously unmet need.
“It is essential we to continue to talk and reach out, looking for populations, communities, industries who may have particular work, cultural or social nuances that have deterred previous conversations,” added Dr Currie.
Farmstrong has been shortlisted for the Women in Food & Agriculture’s Initiative of the Year award, recognising a project that has made a significant contribution to advancing diversity, inclusion, and sustainability in the food and agricultural sector.
Christine Cameron, a livestock farmer from Killin in the Highlands, was one of the women who shared her story as part of ‘Let’s talk About Menopause’: “I’m so glad I had the opportunity to share my story and some of the struggles that I, and women from all walks of life, have had to deal with during menopause. Hopefully, thanks to this campaign, women will feel much more comfortable to open up about their experiences and seek support where needed.”
Alix Ritchie, Director at Farmstrong Scotland is delighted by the response. “More than a third of the agricultural workforce in Scotland are female – not including the countless wives and partners who support farm operations – and all of them will, at some point, go through the menopause.
“It’s vital that charities like Farmstrong encourage these conversations and give those who are willing to open up a platform to talk. The peer-to-peer stories are so powerful. We saw the impact firsthand, with women telling us they’d gone to their GP after reading our contributors’ stories. Being shortlisted for this award keeps the topic in the spotlight too, which is fantastic.”
The awards ceremony will take place in Amsterdam later this month when the winner will be announced.
All of the menopause related content and resources from Farmstrong Scotland can be found on its website, under the Wellbeing Hub section.