Farmstrong Scotland menopause campaign gains international recognition

Farmstrong Scotland’s work to support the wellbeing of women in agriculture has earned international attention, with the charity’s menopause campaign shortlisted for a major global award.

The organisation has been named a finalist for the Women in Food & Agriculture Initiative of the Year, an accolade that highlights projects driving meaningful progress in diversity, inclusion and sustainability across the food and farming sector.

Launched during Menopause Awareness Month last October, the “Let’s Talk About Menopause” campaign brought forward the lived experiences of women working across Scotland’s farming and crofting communities. The initiative aimed to break down stigma, encourage open conversations, and ensure that menopause is better understood within rural workplaces.

Farmstrong Scotland received funding support from Scottish Government, which has helped  the organisation develop and deliver the campaign.

The campaign was supported by expert guidance from Dr Heather Currie MBE, a leading gynaecologist specialising in menopause care, whose insight helped shape accessible, evidence‑based information for the sector.

She said:

“Understanding the menopause transition – what happens, when, why and what options are available to help manage it – is everyone’s business. The phenomenal response to the campaign highlighted a previously unmet need.

“It is essential we continue to talk and reach out, looking for populations, communities and industries who may have particular work, cultural or social nuances that have deterred previous conversations.”

Farmstrong Scotland director Alix Ritchie said the response to the campaign had underlined its importance.

“More than a third of the agricultural workforce in Scotland are female – not including the countless wives and partners who support farm operations – and all of them will, at some point, go through the menopause,” she said.

“It’s vital that charities like Farmstrong encourage these conversations and give those who are willing to open up a platform to talk. The peer-to-peer stories are so powerful. We saw the impact first-hand, with women telling us they’d gone to their GP after reading our contributors’ stories. Being shortlisted for this award keeps the topic in the spotlight too, which is fantastic.”

The winner will be announced later this month at the awards ceremony in Amsterdam, offering an opportunity to further spotlight the importance of wellbeing within Scotland’s agricultural community.

Farmstrong Scotland received funding support from Scottish Government which help support the development and delivery of the campaign.

Find out more about Farmstrong Scotland at: Farmstrong Scotland – Live Well, Farm & Croft Well