Fabulous wins prestigious award for Menopause Matters campaign at the British Society of Magazine Editors awards | The Sun

AT Fabulous, we’re never afraid to stand-up and fight for our readers with hard hitting campaigns which make Britain better for women.

And now our work on our groundbreaking Menopause Matters campaign has been crowned the British Society of Magazine Editors’ best campaign of 2022. 


Judges lauded the campaign as “broad and well executed,” adding that it “revealed true dedication to the cause and produced measurable results, as well as genuinely impacting women’s lives for the better.”

Rachel Shields, Assistant Editor of the Sun, said: “For too long the physical and emotional repercussions of the menopause have been something that women have suffered in silence. 

“Fabulous reaches millions of women each week, and we launched Menopause Matters because we thought that they deserved better. Better healthcare, better support from their employers and a better understanding of exactly what their bodies – and minds – are going through.

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“It’s wonderful that the campaign has now been recognised by the BSME. This highlights that women’s health – an area long neglected by policy makers – deserves to be top of the agenda.

By working with like-minded individuals and organisations, brands like Fabulous and The Sun can drive real change.”

We launched Menopause Matters in October last year after recognising that so many of our  readers were suffering in silence.

We started with an exclusive survey of 2,000 Fabulous readers, examining every aspect of how the menopause impacted on their lives, with staggering results which shaped our campaign. 

Half of women believed there wasn’t enough support for them, 49% suffered from depression, and 7% felt suicidal – something needed to change.

We decided to launch our campaign with three main aims:

– Free HRT on the NHS for everyone

– Employers to put menopause support at the heart of workplace policies

– Bust taboos and help women thrive in menopause

And it worked! Just weeks after launching and having published over 50 articles, the government responded to pressure and backed a "menopause revolution", pledging to cut the yearly cost of repeat HRT prescriptions to just £18.50 – a saving of up to £205.

More on Menopause Matters

I am convinced I am going through menopause but doctors don’t believe me

Menopausal civil servants to get more freedoms, as Govt urges firms to follow

Carolyn Harris, the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Menopause and a passionate advocate about changing the way we think and feel about menopause said: "It's amazing that Fabulous has been rewarded a BSME Award for Best Campaign for Menopause Matters.

"It shows that women's health issues are being taken seriously within in the magazine industry and why we should be all campaigning for better understanding of the Menopause."

What is the menopause and when does it usually start?

Menopause is a natural part of ageing, which usually happens when a woman is between the age of 45 and 55.

In the UK, the average age for a woman to go through menopause is 51.

It occurs when oestrogen levels in the body start to decline.

During this time periods become less frequent or they can suddenly stop, and after menopause occurs women will be unable to become pregnant naturally.

Around one in 100 women experience menopause before the age of 40, and this is known as premature ovarian insufficiency or premature menopause.

Many celebrities have spoken out about their own experiences, including Lisa Snowdon, Davina McCall, Michelle Heaton and Zoe Hardman. 

What are the symptoms?

Menopausal symptoms can start months or years before your periods stop, and can last until four years or longer after your last period.

Symptoms include:

  • Hot flushes
  • Changing or irregular periods
  • Difficulty in sleeping
  • Anxiety and loss of confidence
  • Low mood, irritability and depression
  • Night sweats
  • Vaginal dryness or discomfort during sex
  • Reduced libido (sex drive)
  • Problems with concentration or memory
  • Weight gain
  • Bladder control

Businesses responded to our calls with leading British brands including Nationwide bank, Pub chain Young’s and Estee Lauder backing the campaign and pledging more support for their employees.

We published over 50 articles and sought primetime TV slots on ITVs Lorraine and Channel 4’s Steph’s Packed Lunch, as well as leading a social media campaign using celebrity ambassadors.

Lisa Snowdon, Michelle Heaton and Ulrika Jonsson are just some of those who spoke powerfully about how the menopause had stolen chances of pregnancy and left them suicidal and so crippled by ‘brain fog’ they believed they had dementia. 

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And we won't stop here.

It's our mission to make our readers' lives better – and we'll continue to raise awareness of the menopause, and other important issues across all our platforms.

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