Amidst a population that values culture and tradition above all, open discourse on socially taboo topics is scarce, left at the mercy of whispered and speculative understanding. The female anatomy is associated with the majority of such matters. The major experiences of a woman’s life — from the stepping stone of puberty to menstruation, pregnancy, and finally, menopause — are expected to be lived silently so that women are considered ‘modest’ and ‘proper’. At most, even progressive men and women in society publicly acknowledge the existence of these realities, but rarely is there a push for education and awareness. Pakistan, where menopause remains a highly stigmatized topic, continues to evade the issue, making it harder for women to function in an environment that fails to offer support, safety, and understanding.
Menopause marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years, usually occurring in her 50s, and is defined by the absence of menstruation for 12 consecutive months. It is not merely a temporary state, but rather a biological threshold that transitions a woman into her post-menopausal life — a phase where estrogen levels reach an all-time low, the ovaries no longer release eggs, and the ability to procreate ceases. Immediately after a year passes without menstruation, the transition from perimenopause to menopause is complete, though symptoms can persist for another 7 to 14 years. A worsening of PMS, insomnia, depression, irritability, urinary urgency, night sweats, hot flashes, muscle aches, memory lapses, and weight gain are among the several manifestations during this period. None of these symptoms can be easily endured or hidden under a routine of normalcy, becoming particularly challenging as they persist over the years.
In a society that values a woman’s appearance and fertility as her most remarkable attributes, women going through menopause face a decaying sense of self-worth — labeled by ageism that readily renders them invisible and less worthy of care. Their suffering is often dismissed as minor or labeled as hysterical. This dynamic goes hand in hand with the consistent objectification of women. Pakistani society, much like other parts of the world, often respects and tolerates women for what they can produce rather than who they are. Like a machine designed to carry and nurture offspring that becomes disposable once worn out, families often fail to give adequate space to menopausal women, viewing them as bodies without a favorable output. Similarly, beauty standards filter them out as undesirable with the loss of youth. This phenomenon is demonstrated most commonly by husbands in orthodox societies who opt for younger wives under the guise of better compatibility.
Moreover, a woman is taught that her biological experiences are shameful from a very early age. The shunning that begins at puberty — or sometimes even before — carries well into her adulthood and old age. Even at 40 or 50, when her life has woven more wisdom than the collective weight of cultural myths, she remains the recipient of such stigma.
The primary source of this atmosphere is not just culture, but also the misinterpretation of religious principles. Islam preaches modesty for both men and women in attire, attitude, and speech. None of these teachings justify the lack of education or empathy for a biologically crucial and complex process in women. However, modesty is often weaponized against them to suppress discourse, completely ignoring core Islamic values regarding the necessity of education for all and the respectful treatment of women.
On top of all else, professional settings can be deeply apathetic to the needs of menopausal women, failing to accommodate them with supportive working conditions or policies despite physical and mental health barriers. This neglect traces back to a society that refuses to address menopause as an essential topic of conversation or cater to women who are already navigating systemic and domestic crises.
Fearing unwanted attention, being labeled as brazen or inappropriate for engaging in taboo subjects, and feeling discomfort at the thought of dismantling internalized shame, Pakistani women are not talking about menopause. They are neither learning about their own anatomy nor educating those around them to build collective consciousness. Since the world will not become accommodating on its own, if Pakistani women want to see positive change in these regressive norms for themselves and future generations, they must initiate this difficult conversation themselves.