Viewpoint: Councillor praised for her courage in revealing her darkest moments in a bid to improve the system for others

It is not unusual for a politician to stand up and address colleagues in a council meeting. Often they will reference a constituent's situation to hammer home the importance of implementing their motion, to review a decision or plead for funding for an local initiative. But it's not often someone stands before their peers in one of the busiest local authority meetings of the year and outlines their darkest moments in a bid to improve the system for others.

But that's what happened yesterday when Ashbourne Cllr Suzanne Jamal made a powerful address to the chamber about her struggles with menopause.

Menopause is a natural phase in a woman's life, yet for too long, it has been shrouded in silence and stigma, something Cllr Jamal said she was on a mission to change. She told of how she chose to have a double mastectomy and an oophorectomy after she lost her twin sister to breast cancer just after they turned 50 five years ago.

Jamal said she feared she would have suffered the same fate if her sister Maire had not tested positive for the hereditary brca2 gene, which she then learned was also passed on to her.

Following the surgeries, the Ashbourne area councillor was put into a medically induced menopause, and what followed was years of suffering unnecessarily.

"The first thing to go was my sleep, I was like a demon," said Cllr Jamal in an incredibly brave and frank address to her fellow councillors.

"They couldn't look at me in the house because I was working as a councillor at the time. I was working in Dublin and that had a huge, huge effect on me.

"I was in dire straits, I needed help," she added.

" I could list 30 symptoms but mine were night sweats and anxiety. I suffer with tinnitus, and that went berserk.

"I was told previously because of the risk of getting breast cancer, I wasn't able to take HRT.

"So it was not until last year that I said enough is enough, and I went to my GP."

Cllr Jamal called for Meath County Council to hold a ‘Menopause Day’ to educate and inform men and women of the changes that can happen as a woman ages and to open up the conversation.

But why is it so hard for us to discuss these topics that happen to half of the population? For too long, women have had to suffer in silence be it experiencing debilitating periods that leave you on your knees one week a month or just like Suzanne explained so passionately, a wild transformative change that affects every fibre of your being that until now could it seems not be spoken of.

It is sad to think that this is in part due to fear of stigma, embarrassment, or feeling they might be perceived as less capable. Catholic Ireland no doubt has had a part to play in generations of women being forced to keep hush about the allusive stage in life known only as "the change."

Also the ever growing pressure to age in reverse has been another barrier to women speaking freely or seeking help.

"My mother went through a lot of hardship, because that's the way it was in those days," said the county councillor.

"They just didn't look for treatment back then, it was a case of you have to get through it."

Cllr Jamal was praised by male and female colleagues alike for having the courage to speak on something so personal to her life and the chief executive of the council said her motion would be supported.

So hopefully change is on the horizon. The government has also launched initiatives to raise awareness about menopause, aiming to reduce stigma and encourage open conversations. Additionally, the introduction of free Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) for eligible women is a commendable step toward making treatment more accessible The Fine Gael councillor said receiving treatment had been "life changing."

"As we have breast check at 50, why can we not have menopause check at 40?" she asked.

"Even an information booklet so women are prepared and know when the changes are happening."

Cllr Jamal ended her speech by saying she wanted to remember her twin sister.

"I hope that we can keep talking about it to each other, including the gentlemen, we all, we're all in it together."

Ireland stands at a crossroads. We can continue to let menopause be a taboo subject, or we can choose to address it head-on, ensuring that every woman has the support and understanding she deserves. The choice is ours, and the time to act is now.