The Relentless Pause

“𝐖𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐧-𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞𝐬.”

I hear that.
But I have a question:
Whose health?
And whose research?

Because when we talk about being “open-minded,” we must also be honest about what the evidence already shows.

In the UK, research has found that 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 (𝐇𝐑𝐓) 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬, despite experiencing more severe and more prolonged menopausal symptoms.

Studies and reports have also highlighted that women from Black and Brown communities are more likely to:

↳ Experience delays in diagnosis and support.
↳ Report severe psychological symptoms such as anxiety, low mood, depression and brain fog.
↳ Receive less culturally competent care within healthcare systems.

This is not about being closed-minded.
This is about being clear-eyed.
Because while conversations expand, the foundation they are built on is still not equitable.

So I will say this plainly:

𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 — 𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

Open-mindedness cannot mean overlooking disparity.
It cannot mean ignoring who is still being left out.

And it certainly cannot mean continuing to centre narratives that were never designed with Black and Brown women in mind.

If research is evolving — then it must evolve 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲. If conversations are expanding — then they must expand 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲.

Because until Black and Brown women are fully represented in both research and healthcare, there is still work to do.

𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬.

What’s your take on this topic? Let’s talk 🗣️ in comments ⬇️

Want Black woman-centred education? DM PERI.

♻️Repost

𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰

LIVE TODAY | 2PM

We’re delighted our Founder & Director Emma Lady will be speaking today with powerhouse host Sebrina Spencer on The Sebrina Spencer Show on Love Da Beat Radio this afternoon.

Emma Lady is guest speaker to talk about the newly launched The Relentless Pause Community-Interest Company (CIC) and the important work we are doing to address the healthcare gaps, workplace stigma and cultural silence many Black and Brown women face in midlife.

Also to be discussed, the pioneering certified Black woman-centred menopause education programme designed to ensure our communities are informed, supported and empowered through this transition.

Joining the conversation alongside is powerhouse Nissi Ozigbu, Change Strategist and Founder of The Growth Hut. With over 15 years of experience in behaviour change, Nissi helps leaders and organisations reduce sales friction, clarify their value and build momentum through purposeful visibility.

The Sebrina Spencer Show is a platform dedicated to giving entrepreneurs and professionals a voice — broadcasting live every Thursday from 2pm–4pm.

📻 Tune in live today at 2pm link 🔗 in comments ⬇️

♻️Repost to raise awareness on how Menopause affects Black women.

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.
𝐈𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟.

When Black and Brown women see someone who looks like them 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 in , something shifts internally.
They stop bracing for decline.
They start imagining possibility.

For too long, menopause has been framed through a narrow lens — one set of bodies, one cultural experience, one narrative of what this life stage should look like. That framing hasn’t just excluded women; it has shaped who feels seen, supported and worthy of care.

Today, I’m sharing a caricature of me created with the prompt: “𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘥𝘰.”
What was created wasn’t just an image — it was representation.

Because representation is not cosmetic.
It is clinical.
It influences trust, help-seeking, engagement and health outcomes.

The Relentless Pause CIC exists to challenge dominant narratives and centre Black women in menopause education and advocacy — not by asking us to adapt to systems that were never designed with us in mind but by building something intentionally different.

When representation changes, belief changes.
When belief changes, behaviour changes.
When behaviour changes, outcomes change.

And that is why this work is necessary.

Follow The Relentless Pause CIC page — and join us on this journey.

We have created CPD-Accredited training: The Stigma of Menopause in Black Communities.

If you’re an organisation, charity or community-led initiative looking to train your staff or members in Black woman-centred menopause education, please get in touch:
📧 [email protected]

The Relentless Pause CIC is redefining menopause for Black and Brown women.

♻️Follow and repost to raise awareness on how menopause affects Black women.