A new menopause survey will allow police officers to share their experiences and it will help in the battle to get the right education and support in place, South Yorkshire Police Federation has said.<\/p>\n
The survey, called \u2018Everyone Pause\u2019, has been launched by the PFEW working with the national Menopause Action Group. It is open to anyone who is either going through or has gone through the menopause, anyone with management or supervisory responsibility within the police service, or those who have personal experiences of supporting someone going through the menopause.<\/p>\n
Steve Kent, Chair of South Yorkshire Police Federation, said: \u201cIt was only four or five years ago that I was first involved in an awareness session about the menopause and my eyes were opened to the issues and challenges for police officers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt can be especially difficult for frontline officers, when we\u2019re talking about wearing PPE and body armour. Menopause should be something that\u2019s front and centre of everyone\u2019s mind. Around 40% of South Yorkshire Police officers are female, and are likely at some point to have challenges around this, so why are we messing about? We should just be getting on with it and dealing with this like a real issue, rather than a taboo, which people still do think it is.\u201d<\/p>\n
He continued: \u201cThis survey is massively important because it\u2019s all about awareness and educating managers, both male and female. Often supervisors have a lack of understanding and sympathy or willingness to make adjustments.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe talk about mental health, we talk about physical health, we talk about injuries, but why aren\u2019t we talking about this? I think there\u2019s light at the end of the tunnel \u2013 I think the awareness is getting there. People are starting to talk about it, people are starting to drop their barriers on it.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut this will help us see where we are with it. We\u2019re light years ahead of where we were four years ago, but I don\u2019t think we\u2019re there yet; we\u2019ve got to just get people talking about the menopause.\u201d<\/p>\n
For more information, visit the PFEW Menopause Survey 2023 page.<\/p>\n