The Embassy of Australia in Kathmandu hosted a public seminar entitled Menopause to Meno-peak, in Kathmandu with high profile advocates including singer and philanthropist, Ani Choying Dolma, and Australian mountaineer, Allie Pepper, to raise awareness about menopause.
Australia Awards alumni and Tribhuvan University’s Lecturer of Sociology, Dr Neeti Aryal Khanal, and President of the Himalayan Dialogues, Dr Sunoor Verma, joined the panel discussion which was attended by government, diplomatic, civil society, media and members of the public, as stated in the press release of the embassy.
Introducing the event, Australia’s Ambassador to Nepal, Her Excellency Felicity Volk said the embassy had organised the seminar to draw attention to issues relating to menopause and perimenopause, including women’s health and wellbeing, access to comprehensive and individualized health care and workplace support.
Referring to Australian research, Ambassador Volk reiterated that workplace support for menopausal women was not just an issue of human rights but an economic imperative.
“Economic modelling tells us that if even just 10 per cent of Australian women retired early because of menopausal symptoms, it would equate to loss of earnings and superannuation of more than A$17 billion,” she said.
Renowned mountaineer Allie Pepper said she hoped her campaign, Respect above the Clouds, a challenge to climb all 14 peaks without supplemental oxygen in under three years, would be an inspiration to other women experiencing menopause, reads the release.
The dialogue moderator, Dr. Aryal Khanal, said the seminar would help Nepal’s government and private sector to create workplaces that support women to contribute productively to economic activity throughout their lives.
Panelist Dr Sunoor Verma, an international health communications expert said, “By educating boys and men about their own sexual health, we help them better support the entire spectrum of women’s health.”
