Meryl Swanson (Paterson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was elected almost 10 years ago. I was 45 and feeling great, but I had no clue what was coming and no clue what perimenopause was. I was like many women. I just put up with how my body was changing—the weight gain, the hot flushes, the sleepless nights, the brain fog, the hip and shoulder pain and looking for the car keys when they were already in my hand. Like our grandmothers and mothers, women of my generation were short on help and long on stigma. Here's what having more women in parliament can do for a country. This government is changing the way we treat menopause.

The Albanese Labor government has launched a new national campaign to make sure women can access clear, trusted and evidence based information about perimenopause and menopause. Frankly, it's about time. It's about helping women recognise what's happening to their bodies, feel confident seeking support and know that they're not alone. It sits alongside broader women's health reforms from our government, including cheaper menopausal hormone therapies, better clinical guidelines and more support through Medicare. Women deserve to be heard, taken seriously and properly supported, and that's exactly what we're doing. We've been more, we've seen more, we've had more and we are more than we've been given credit for. We're hotter, we're sharper and we're in demand. And, yes, that's the menopause talking!