Carol Vorderman, Mariella Frostrup and Cherry Healey lead ‘Hot Girl Walk’ in Kensington Gardens as part of Menopause Mandate campaign

• The meeting was organised by campaign group Menopause Mandate
• READ MORE: Experts reveal the overlooked menopause symptoms which no one talks about

The theme for World Menopause Day this year is cardiovascular health – and there was plenty of discussion around the subject at the House of Lords today, where celebrities and politicians gathered to mark the occasion.

Carol Vorderman, Mariella Frostrup, Cherry Healey and MPs including Carolyn Harris, plus menopause experts and campaigners, gathered to celebrate World Menopause Day and to launch the APPG Manifesto for Menopause – and they even braved the rain on a ‘Hot Girl Walk’. 

This is a list of seven reforms that they suggest all political parties adopt to ensure that women have the support and education they need to navigate menopause.

Mariella Frostrup, chair of campaign group Menopause Mandate, gave a rousing speech about the urgent need for such reforms and the importance of recognising that menopause is a cross party concern. 

She also pointed out that there are around 16 million women over the age of 45 in the UK, and that it’s therefore a large swathe of the voting population to be considered.

Famous faces including Cherry Healey, Carol Vorderman, Lisa Snowdon, Lavina Mehta and Michelle Griffith-Robinson gathered in Kensington Gardens to join a Hot Girl Walk in aid of World Menopause Day

The reforms include the recommendation that there be a Menopause Health Check at the age of 40, that there be menopause action plans n large companies and a national formulary for HRT.

Tying into this rather neatly came the results of the Menopause Mandate survey, which was filled in by over 2300 women. 96% said that symptoms were affecting quality of life, and almost 50% said that it took over a year to realise that they might be peri or menopausal.

The biggest shock was the revelation that a whopping 48% of women learned about the menopause from social media and only 15% from healthcare professionals – Yet almost 80% are seeking medical advice from their NHS GP.

The Menopause Mandate also organised a meeting at the House of Lords to discuss the menopause, its symptoms and healthcare 

Pictured: Melissa Sterling of Holland and Barrett, Cherry Healey, Naoni Begum-Inglis of Accenture and Tina Blackhouse of Thermamex

Dr Shahzadi Harper was a guest speaker at the event today which focused on cardiovascular health 

Pictured: Cherry Healey, Lisa Snowdon and Lavina Mehta donned their umbrellas and headed to Kensington Gardens

The pink-clad army of campaigners were promoting the cardiovascular health of women going through menopause

Off the back of this, Menopause Mandate launched their new campaign, MM40+, They are demanding that peri/menopause be included in the NHS over 40s health check in order that most women are made aware of it before symptoms might occur, and can make lifestyle changes to support general health as well as considering options such as HRT.

‘For years I’ve been flabbergasted at the lack of education around menopause, which means that women are stumbling into a metaphorical dark tunnel rather than marching proudly into the sunlit uplands of knowledge, confidence and empowerment,’ said Frostrup.

‘The results of the Menopause Mandate survey reveal where there are still gaps in menopause care and the new #MM40+ campaign aims to enlighten even more women before this liminal period begins, and help ensure an easier transition and a more optimistic outlook.’

The House of Lords meeting coincided with an event to mark World Menopause Day, A Walk in the Park, in Kensington Gardens, London, which took place this afternoon.

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