Project
Across Europe, women spend a significant portion of their lives in the post-menopausal stage, yet many remain insufficiently informed about menopause and its wide-ranging impacts. The menopausal transition is associated with more than 50 symptoms affecting physical, mental, and social wellbeing, as well as employment, relationships, and overall quality of life. These challenges are further compounded by increased risks of chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and diabetes. Despite growing public discussion, access to reliable, evidence-based information remains limited, particularly for disadvantaged groups who often rely on informal and unreliable sources. This highlights a critical gap in accessible, structured, and multidisciplinary education tailored to the needs of midlife and older women, as well as the professionals who support them. A search of the current literature and the EPALE and Erasmus+ project search engines revels this is currently an unmet meet for a target group of 3 million women in Europe.
FEMME HEALTH project aims to address this gap by developing comprehensive educational materials and a freely accessible e-learning platform focused on women’s health and menopause. The project will develop (i) a co-created, needs-specific, self-paced "Women’s Health Matters" education programme on women’s health, menopause, and lifestyle medicine for women in midlife and beyond; and (ii) a co-created, needs-specific “Train the Trainer” module designed for health professionals working with women across all stages of menopause. The materials will provide evidence-based, non-formal education covering symptom management, treatment options, and lifestyle medicine practices such as exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. By targeting both women and professionals, the project strengthens knowledge, builds capacity, and promotes informed decision-making, ultimately empowering women to maintain their physical, mental, emotional, and social wellbeing while equipping professionals with the skills needed to deliver effective, high-quality support.
Impact
The aim of the FEMME HEALTH is to empower women across Europe to better understand, manage, and thrive during perimenopause and menopause by raising awareness of associated symptoms and health risks, while simultaneously upskilling professionals to provide comprehensive, high-quality support to women across all stages of menopause. In doing so, the project seeks to improve health outcomes, enhance quality of life, and promote long-term physical, mental, and social wellbeing throughout midlife and beyond.
