Roots to Routes: Navigating Midlife and Menopause as South Asian Women

Each year, South Asian Heritage Month offers us a meaningful opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and reclaim the narratives that shape our identities. This year’s theme, “Roots to Routes,” holds a special resonance for South Asian women – particularly those of us in midlife as we begin to examine not only where we’ve come from, but where we’re going.

Midlife is a transitional phase often overshadowed by stigma, silence, and shame in our communities, particularly when it intersects with perimenopause and menopause. For many South Asian women, these natural biological processes remain deeply misunderstood and often hidden behind closed doors, dismissed as “just part of getting older.” But in truth, this journey deserves space, support, and celebration.

This article is a tribute to that journey – a recognition of our ancestral roots, the routes of migration and identity, and the often-unseen inner routes we navigate through hormonal shifts, changing bodies, and evolving roles.

ROOTS: The Inheritance of Silence and Strength

Our mothers and grandmothers rarely spoke about the changes they went through. They endured menopause in silence, often without medical support, accurate information, or emotional validation. Their priority was family, survival, and stability in a new land, especially for those who were part of the post-war South Asian migration to the UK.

Their silence wasn’t weakness; it was cultural conditioning, often reinforced by patriarchal norms. Many South Asian cultures view ageing as decline, especially for women. Fertility is celebrated, youth is idealised, and anything that signifies the end of the reproductive years is treated as something to hide.

But what they didn’t say – the stories they never told – live on in us.

We carry the unspoken. And now, we have a choice: to repeat their silence, or to rewrite the script.

ROUTES: A New Narrative of Midlife

Midlife is not the end – it’s a rite of passage. And as South Asian women in the diaspora, we are navigating this stage of life with a dual identity: rooted in cultural tradition, yet exposed to new ways of thinking about wellness, health, and empowerment.

Our journeys differ, but many of us face:

• Stigma around ageing and menopause.
• Delayed diagnosis or dismissal by medical professionals unfamiliar with how symptoms present in South Asian women.
• Lack of culturally sensitive care, especially in dermatology, gynaecology, and mental health.
• Invisible emotional labour, caring for children and elders while battling exhaustion, anxiety, and joint pain.

We are managing so much – yet expected to carry on as if nothing is changing. But we are changing. And the routes we now take must be ones of self-compassion, community, and courage.

Understanding Perimenopause and Menopause in South Asian Women

Perimenopause can begin in the early 40s (or even late 30s), and it’s more than just hot flushes. Symptoms vary widely and may include:

• Irregular periods
• Fatigue and brain fog
• Mood swings and anxiety
• Poor sleep
• Skin changes, pigmentation, and hair thinning
• Vaginal dryness and reduced libido
• Digestive issues and weight gain

Research has shown that South Asian women may experience menopause earlier than their Western counterparts, with a higher risk of osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular issues – yet this is rarely addressed in mainstream resources.

And culturally, we are less likely to seek help, more likely to be misdiagnosed, and often unsupported at work or home.

Breaking the Silence, Building Community

At The Sattva Collective, we believe that menopause support is not just a medical issue – it’s a community health issue. Culturally safe spaces for South Asian women to speak freely, ask questions, and share stories are essential.

Our programming includes:

• Midlife Circles, offering peer support and shared wisdom.
• Wellness Workshops that integrate traditional practices like Ayurveda and yoga with modern science.
• Advocacy and education, including training for GPs, employers, and community leaders to better support South Asian women through midlife.

We want women to know:

• You are not alone.
• You are not going mad.
• You are not “just ageing” – you are transforming.

Honouring Generational Healing

Our “routes” are not just about where we go physically – they are the healing paths we choose emotionally and spiritually. For some of us, this means going to therapy. For others, it means finally prioritising rest. It may mean saying “no” to family expectations, or saying “yes” to HRT, support groups, or re-educating ourselves on our own bodies.

It’s in this messy, beautiful middle that transformation happens.

Midlife is a chance to redefine beauty, reclaim power, and return to our roots with deeper awareness.

A Call to Action for Heritage Month

This South Asian Heritage Month, I encourage you to do three things:

1. Reflect: What stories have you inherited about womanhood, ageing, and menopause? What do you want to let go of – and what do you want to reclaim?
2. Reconnect: Talk to your mother or aunties. Share your experiences. Start a conversation that might never have happened otherwise.
3. Reimagine: What if menopause weren’t something to dread, but a sacred portal into your next chapter? What would support look like? Who would you become?

We Are the Bridge

We are the bridge between generations – between what was and what could be. Our roots are sacred. Our routes are sovereign. This Heritage Month, let’s honour the women who came before us by stepping into our power, fully and unapologetically.

Because our stories – our truths – are part of our heritage too.