Women in Sport has partnered with Getty Images to launch a curation of ground-breaking images and short films that challenge the way women going through the menopause are portrayed in society.
They showcase women who have experienced menopause, illustrating the joy of exercise and how it changed their lives building community, friendship, adventure, fun and camaraderie.
Women in midlife feel largely ignored, invisible and unimportant, and this is particularly true when it comes to sport and exercise. They are rarely portrayed in the marketing and the delivery of sport and exercise, and this needs to change allowing women to see relatable and inspiring imagery that showcases the endless possibilities that sport can bring. Women in Sport’s campaign #menopossibilities will share these stories and bring to light the challenges, barriers and opportunities that this life stage offers.
“I thought I need to get healthier and get fitter because my body is changing, there is nothing I can do about that but I want to try and keep up with it and deal with these changes better.”Catherine’s Menopause Story
The curation of visuals will sit in Getty’s Disrupt Aging® collection. The images and videos are available on Getty Images and their sister site iStock for editorial, commercial and stock usage.
This collection of imagery and short films has been launched alongside the release of new research from Women in Sport on menopause and midlife. Funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, this unique piece of insight examined every aspect of women’s lives over a five-month period to fully understand their experiences of menopause and physical activity and explore what is really preventing them from being active. See the full report and recommendations from the research on our Research and Advice page.
“There are very few high-profile black women out there that share their experiences of menopause. For me it is about being able to resonate.”Nina’s Menopause Story
Women have the right to have fun and be healthy and active. The barriers that women face in achieving this must be acknowledged and addressed by society as a whole and with urgency. Women in Sport wants to see:
- Women inspired by expanded perceptions of what sporty can look like and the endless possibilities to be physically active;
- Promotion of sport and exercise by health professionals as a simple and accessible way for women to take better care of themselves at this life stage; whilst also overhauling education about menopause so women stop suffering needlessly;
- More and better workplace policies on the menopause that take into account the need for exercise to nurture physical and mental health;
- Men stepping up as allies to encourage their partners, mothers, sisters, daughters and female friends and colleagues to be active, adventurous, and have fun, and to support this practically, for example by stepping up to share care burdens; and
- Midlife women more visible in marketing within the sport and leisure sector and communicating relatable benefits.
“I am passionate about getting more imagery out there of women like me – I see pictures and I don’t identify with any of those women.”Carol’s Menopause Story
