Chaired by Dr Sue Mann, national clinical director in women’s health and consultant and women’s health lead at City and Hackney, our panel explores why we can’t be ‘demure’ about menopausal health in women from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Dr Shehla Imtiaz-Umer, GP and EDI director for General Practice Task Force (GPTF) and Dr Ewa Craven, health ambassador at Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, discuss the impact of structural and socio-economic barriers behind inequalities in access to knowledge and services. Data shows uptake of hormone replacement therapy is almost five times lower in black and four times lower in Asian women compared to white women, alongside lower rates of take up of potentially lifesaving cervical and breast screening.

Dr Sharon Dixon, GP, FGM lead at the Royal College of General Practitioners and trustee at Sundial, brings insights on access for women at risk of exclusion due to trauma and FGM (female genital mutilation), while Fauzia Chaudhry, of Fatima Women’s Association in Oldham, reflects on the impact of work in the community to overcome fear, misinformation and hesitancy in seeking help for menopause symptoms and other severe and treatable conditions.

Join us, to help us consider opportunities to empower women to make informed choices about HRT, breast and cervical screening and wider health.