An informal online get-together
about the menopause
Monday 6 February 2023
12.30 – 1 pm
It’s time we talked more about menopause and perimenopause, and how to support one another through them. A group of IP Inclusive supporters got together to organise this “coffee date”-style gathering, open to anyone who wanted to drop by and have a chat. It was a safe space to talk about (peri)menopause without shame or censure, to share experiences as well as ideas for making our working lives more menopause-inclusive.
Who was it for?
This get-together was for everyone who works in the UK’s IP sector. All genders and all ages were welcome, as were people from all roles and career levels. You might be going through (peri)menopause yourself, or already have done so, or just want to know more for the future. You might have joined us to find out how you can support family, friends and colleagues who are going through (peri)menopause.
What was the theme?
This time our theme was anything (peri)menopause-related. We used breakout rooms to allow people to talk in smaller groups: the discussions were led by volunteers from our menopause support working group.
We’re hoping future coffee dates can address specific themes – including, for example, early-onset menopause; menopause following illness or surgery; menopause policies in the workplace; what allies (including male allies) can do to help; menopause from a managerial perspective; menopause and career development; and menopause for those who can’t take HRT or similar remedies.
If there’s another topic you’d particularly like us to cover, drop us a line at [email protected] and we’ll do our best to weave it in at another similar get-together.
More events and resources…
We hope to organise more events like this throughout the year. Meanwhile, do sign up to our “Menopause: what’s changing?” webinar on Wednesday 22 March 2023, which is part of our Inclusivity Unlocked! programme.
We’ve also published a set of resources to help you find ideas and support on this important, but so long avoided, topic. You can download that here. And we’ve established a LinkedIn group for UK-based IP professionals who want to exchange news, views and ideas about the menopause: it’s a private group so just send us a request to join and we’ll do the rest.
Cost
This event was free. So are all our resources. We think it’s important to keep IP Inclusive on the right side of the paywall.
That said, we do need money to keep the show on the road, so if you enjoyed the event, please consider contributing to our 2022-23 fundraising campaign. For more information – including about corporate donations – visit our fundraising page.