Sofia Perez

“And for her true womanhood arrived here there is no growing old. Age refines and enriches, warms and illuminates, expands and exalts her. She is more and more Woman through it; not less and less. The noble life that has let her hither is her grand cosmetic. Her intellect, loosed from the golden bonds of corporeal Maternity, rises to the grasp of higher truths.” 

– Eliza W. Farnham

After writing about menstruation, periods, tampons, pads, menstrual cups, and the stigma surrounding them, I realized that there was still an oft-ignored member of the party that I had to pay homage to: menopause. “Menopause”, the word I only first heard after getting my first period, a word filled with mystery, saturated with finality. I remember thinking it was funny how words surrounding female reproduction sounded both grammatical and masculine, all starting with “men”- menopause, menstruation– and containing words like “period” and “pause”. I thought it was funny how dissimilar grammar and menstruation were- one messy and somewhat unpredictable, the other rigid and abstract- and how peculiar it was that menstruation didn’t belong to men even though it sounded like it did. I also remember wanting to ask people what it was like, how long it lasted, if it hurt, if it was miserable, when it would happen to me, but always feeling held back by the worry that they would get offended by the mere suggestion that they might have the experience required to answer my questions. 

The National Institute on Aging defines menopause as the point in time 12 months after a menstruator’s last period. The menopausal transition, or perimenopause, is what you call the year leading up to that point, in which menstruators might experience changes in their monthly cycle, hot flashes, or other symptoms. It often begins between ages 45 and 55, lasting roughly seven years but sometimes stretching to 14. How long it lasts depends on lifestyle factors such as age, smoking, race, and ethnicity. During this period of time, the production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, both produced by the ovaries, can be variable.

“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong, it’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.“

G.D. Anderson

Yet menopause is a phenomenon that transcends biology, marking a point in life that many find daunting and challenging on an existential level. Indeed, there is a long history in Western society of menopause being used to antagonize women of a certain age, with pressures all around to make anyone past their time of reproduction feel excluded and underappreciated.  

One striking example of this discrimination toward older women has appeared throughout history through the persecution of those accused of witchcraft. According to Britannica, the European witch-hunt craze peaked in the 1580s and 90s to the 1630s and 40s, with about three quarters of the hunts taking place in western Germany, France, northern Italy, and Switzerland. It is impossible to know exactly when the trials began, but it is generally thought that the number of trials and executions “varied according to time and place”, although generally speaking a total of roughly 110,000 people were tried for witchcraft and between 40,000 to 60,000 were executed.”

Witches were thought to be followers of Satan who “traded their souls for his assistance”. They would then allegedly employ demons to desecrate the crucifix and the consecrated bread and wine of Holy Communion; shapeshift to and from an animal form, riding through the air at night to secret meetings called “sabbats”, where they would partake in orgies and sometimes have sex with Satan himself; and kidnap and murder children for the sake of eating them or using their fat for magical ointments. Naturally though- while there were admittedly some individuals who did worship the devil, try to practice maleficium– malevolent sorcery- and yes, there were even people with moles and warts, no one was actually a witch by the definition of the time. 

Older women, single women, and widows were particularly susceptible to accusations. That is to say, menopause and witchcraft have been intimately interwoven for centuries. 

Looking back, there is still no reasonable explanation for women making up the overwhelming majority of people accused of witchcraft- about three quarters of those convicted. Older women, single women, and widows were particularly susceptible to accusations. That is to say, menopause and witchcraft have been intimately interwoven for centuries. 

I mention this in order to demonstrate an important point about the depiction of menopausal women throughout history. Namely, that the decrease in fertility that occurs during menopause has, for hundreds of years, been associated with powerful evil. In fact, the deeply embedded understanding of menopausal women as witches still contributes to the pathologization of menopause today. This is why a witch, predominantly considered evil in Western culture, is depicted as old, infertile, and isolated from the rest of society. 

In fact, the deeply embedded understanding of menopausal women as witches still contributes to the pathologization of menopause today. This is why a witch, predominantly considered evil in Western culture, is depicted as old, infertile, and isolated from the rest of society. 

 As a result of this attitude, so deeply embedded within the patriarchal codes of Western society, menopause has been the source of shame and stigma for centuries. This is, however, quite strange given that shame manifests when societal norms have been transgressed. Yet everyone has a body bound by the confines of time. Everyone grows older, everyone goes through puberty, and everyone has a few stray pimples and hairs. Rather than acknowledge this mostly-universal truth, shame is an emotion which causes people to turn their focus inward, cutting deep into their identity. 

According to this medically-reviewed article on PsychCentral, it could manifest through feelings of worthlessness, worrying about what others think of you, being afraid to look stupid, perfectionism, negative self-talk, or anger in response to shame triggers, resulting in side effects such as low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, sleeping issues, stomach pain, overeating or loss of appetite, eating disorders, substance use disorder, and codependency. While personal experience for some might corroborate this long list of symptoms, there is also evidence to underpin these concerns. Dr. June Tangey and Ronda L. Dearing have evidence to suggest that people with a propensity for feeling shame often have low self-esteem and that shame can increase risks of developing other psychological conditions such as depression. In 2010, a study led by Ulrich Orth of the University of Bern, those in their teen years were particularly sensitive to shame, with this inclination decreasing until it resurged again in older age, in which people felt shame toward their bodily appearance.

 Dr. Brené Brown is yet another well-known shame researcher who advocates for vulnerability. “Shame derives its power from being unspeakable,” she says. How simple, and yet how terrifying, to speak the unspeakable, to strip away the power of silence with just your voice. What if, through asking about menopause, we discovered that the shame surrounding it could be replaced with pride? 

“One day you will look back and realize all along you were blooming.”

-Morgan Harper Nichols

This is where we meet the grandmother hypothesis, an idea that has been put forward by researchers to explain why homo sapiens evolved menopause, the biological mystery that means females stop being able to reproduce about halfway through their life. While it does exist in a small selection of other species, such as Japanese aphids and killer whales, it is extremely uncommon throughout the animal kingdom.

The grandmother hypothesis suggests that instead of disadvantaging homo sapiens, menopause actually allows older females to better support their offspring- and their offspring’s offspring, allowing more offspring to survive into adulthood. So while the individual female can no longer pass down her genetic material, she can more readily ensure the survival of those who are carrying it. 

How does this fit into the way we view menopause today? Sure, like me, you may live an ocean away from your grandmothers, or perhaps not be lucky enough to have them in your life, but this is a phenomenon that goes beyond being a grandmother; It is about being a leader. It is about reinventing yourself. It is about getting clear on what you value. 

“Shame derives its power from being unspeakable,” Dr. Brené Brown says. The shame surrounding menopause is just one example. In reality, fertility or the lack thereof never made menopausal women any more “witch” than the rest of us. In fact, Japanese and Mayan culture view the menopausal transition as a period of growth, renewal, and spiritual rebirth. This highlights not only that it’s possible to rewrite the narrative, but that a positive narrative of menopause already exists. Using our voices to dismantle shame is one tool to get there, but today I want to propose a different kind of expression, one that might terrify you even more. 

“Shame derives its power from being unspeakable.”

Dr. Brené Brown

Sure, we all know you sing in the shower and bop your head when listening to something groovy. But what if there is something even more powerful to be said for dancing? What if it can dismantle shame? What if it can promote social bonding, increase self-esteem, and fight depression and anxiety? Well, research from 2021, results of which are published in Menopause, the journal of The North American Menopause Society (NAMS), suggests that this could all be the case. Results seem to support the claim that dance improves cholesterol levels, physical fitness, self-image and self-esteem for postmenopausal females. 

This is particularly important for this demographic, as postmenopausal females are more likely to experience weight gain, overall/central body adiposity increases, and metabolic disturbances such as increases in triglycerides and bad cholesterol. This leads to a higher cardiovascular risk, but is also complemented with decreased self-esteem and self-image. According to the study, “dance therapy is seen as an attractive option because it is a pleasant activity with low associated costs and low risk of injury for its practitioners.” Dance therapy also offers the added benefits of improved balance, posture, strength, and “overall physical performance”. In fact, dance therapy, first pioneered by Marian Chace back in the 1940s, has been used to help patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and other studies by Leste & Rust have highlighted the power of dance classes to reduce anxiety. 

Yet this is, to some extent, old news in the grand scheme of human history. According to the 2015 paper Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding, the performance and enjoyment of music and dance in a group setting is somewhat ubiquitous across all human cultures. “Dance is fundamentally cooperative in nature,” it explains. “And may have served the evolutionary function of encouraging social bonds, cooperation and prosocial behaviors between group members.” The authors of this paper- Bronwyn Tarr, Jacques Launay, Emma Cohen and Robin Dunbar- attribute this to the empirically proven link between synchrony, which is performing the same movement at the same time, and bonding. It suggests that synchronization between people influences their positive social feelings toward each other, blurring the perception of ‘self’ and ‘other’. 

Dance is fundamentally cooperative in nature, and may have served the evolutionary function of encouraging social bonds, cooperation and prosocial behaviors between group members.

-Bronwyn Tarr, Jacques Launay, Emma Cohen & Robin Dunbar, Synchrony and exertion during dance independently raise pain threshold and encourage social bonding, 2015

By breaking down this barrier between ‘self’ and ‘other’, another thing gets broken down- shame. This is why dance offers such a powerful tool in tackling the physical and emotional toll of menopause. Not only does it provide exercise, but it also acts as a way of bonding and expressing oneself. Shame derives its power from being unspeakable. Yes, this is true. But shame also derives power from being undanceable. 

Sources:

(meno)PAUSE TO CHECK YOUR SOURCES

Archives, The National. “The National Archives – Homepage.” The National Archives, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/resources/early-modern-witch-trials/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Devereaux, Christina. “Are You Afraid to Dance? | Psychology Today.” Www.psychologytoday.com, 10 Aug. 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meaning-in-motion/201308/are-you-afraid-dance. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

—. “Why Should We Dance?” Psychology Today, 2013, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/meaning-in-motion/201305/why-should-we-dance. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

EPOCH. “Wicked or Wise? Menopausal Women in Popular History.” Epochmagazine, 31 Aug. 2021, www.epoch-magazine.com/post/wicked-or-wise-menopausal-women-in-popular-history. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Jackson, Melissa. “Dance Therapy for Mental Patients.” News.bbc.co.uk, 3 Apr. 2004, news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3551063.stm. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Johnson, Jacquelyn. “Toxic Shame: Causes, Consequences, and How to Cope.” Psych Central, 13 May 2022, psychcentral.com/lib/what-is-toxic-shame#recap. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Jone Johnson Lewis. “Witch Hunts in Europe: Timeline.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 23 Jan. 2013, www.thoughtco.com/european-witch-hunts-timeline-3530786. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Kämmerer, Annette. “The Scientific Underpinnings and Impacts of Shame.” Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2019, www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-scientific-underpinnings-and-impacts-of-shame/#. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Lambert, Jonathan. “Living near Your Grandmother Has Evolutionary Benefits.” NPR.org, 7 Feb. 2019, www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/02/07/692088371/living-near-your-grandmother-has-evolutionary-benefits. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Lamia, Mary. “Shame: A Concealed, Contagious, and Dangerous Emotion.” Psychology Today, 2011, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intense-emotions-and-strong-feelings/201104/shame-concealed-contagious-and-dangerous-emotion. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Lesté, A., and J. Rust. “Effects of Dance on Anxiety.” Perceptual and Motor Skills, vol. 58, no. 3, 1 June 1984, pp. 767–772, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6473025, https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1984.58.3.767. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Lewis, Ioan M., and Jeffrey Burton Russell. “Witchcraft | Definition, History, Varieties, & Facts.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Oct. 2022, www.britannica.com/topic/witchcraft#ref214880.

McKie, Robin. “Killer Whales Explain the Mystery of the Menopause.” The Guardian, 15 Jan. 2017, www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jan/15/killer-whales-explain-meaning-of-the-menopause. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

National Institute on Aging. “What Is Menopause?” National Institute on Aging, 2017, www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-menopause. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

North American Menopause Society. “Postmenopausal Women Can Dance Their Way to Better Health.” ScienceDaily, 28 July 2021, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/07/210728105640.htm. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Selva, Joaquin. “Shame Resilience Theory: How to Respond to Feelings of Shame.” PositivePsychology.com, 14 June 2017, positivepsychology.com/shame-resilience-theory/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Tarr, Bronwyn, et al. “Synchrony and Exertion during Dance Independently Raise Pain Threshold and Encourage Social Bonding.” Biology Letters, vol. 11, no. 10, Oct. 2015, p. 20150767, https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2015.0767.

Teixeira, Giovana Rampazzo, et al. “October 2021 – Volume 28 – Issue 10 : Menopause.” Journals.lww.com, Oct. 2021, journals.lww.com/menopausejournal/Citation/2021/10000/Dance_practice_modifies_functional_fitness. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Vogel, Kaitlin. “Whether You’re 25 or 65, Here Are 50 Quotes about Menopause That Will Resonate with Every Woman.” Parade: Entertainment, Recipes, Health, Life, Holidays, 26 July 2021, parade.com/1239990/kaitlin-vogel/menopause-quotes/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Wallenfeldt, Jeff. “Salem Witch Trials | History & Causes.” Encyclopædia Britannica, 30 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/event/Salem-witch-trials#ref332153.

Women’s Health Network. “Menopause in Different Cultures.” Women’s Health Network, 18 Nov. 2013, www.womenshealthnetwork.com/menopause-and-perimenopause/menopause-in-different-cultures/. Accessed 21 Feb. 2023.

Thought to Action:

1. Dance: Take some time to dance to your favorite music or even consider joining a class. Just focus on enjoying yourself. There is no such thing as “too old”, “too weird” or “too uncoordinated”.
2. Educate: Teach yourself what a period is and how it works by watching this phenomenal TED Talk, Why Can’t We Talk About Periods?, by Dr. Jen Gunter, a renowned gynecologist and author of The Vagina Bible and The Menopause Manifesto. 
3. Support: Support the women in your life going through menopause by using some of these tips:
   1. Encourage open discussions about menopause with everyone, even husbands, sons, brothers, fathers, etc. A supportive community is needed to make women feel more comfortable during this transition. 
   2. If you have already experienced menopause, share your experience with others to demystify the process and alleviate the shame surrounding it.
   3. Be mindful of the “little” things women might experience during menopause, like the discomfort of a hot flash in the middle of the night, the need to keep the room a bit cooler, sudden mood swings, and the difficulty of coping with menopause in the workplace.
   4. Read this article to find out more.
4. Petition: Consider signing:
   1. this petition to call ministers of health in New Zealand to make menopause training mandatory for all GPs and medical students, create menopause awareness and support in every workplace, and to include menopause in school curriculums. 
   2. this petition to end period poverty in the U.S.
5. Language: How we talk about issues like period poverty affects the way we think about them. Update some of basic linguistic habits to remove the stigma around menstruation by checking out this link. 
6. Read: Check out Emilia Clarke’s three-issue comic mini-series M.O.M.: Mother of Madness about a single mom, Maya, who uses the secret powers rooted in the various points in her menstrual cycle to take on a group of evil human traffickers.
7. Inspire: Consider incorporating some of these witty feminist comebacks into your lexicon:
   1. “Menopause. A pause while you reconsider men.” (Margaret Atwood)
   2. “A man told me that for a woman, I was very opinionated. I said, ‘For a man, you’re kind of ignorant’.” (Anne Hathaway)
   3. “My coach said I run like a girl. And I said if he ran a little faster he could too.” (Mia Hamm)
   4. “I’m tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” (Madonna)
   5. “Of course, I am not worried about intimidating men. The type of man who will be intimidated by me is exactly the type of man I have no interest in.” (Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie)