Unspoken, Unprepared: Empowering 100,000 African Women with Perimenopause Knowledge

#Stronger Together

In August 2025, two World Pulse sisters; Eunice Owino of the Centre for Women Empowerment in Technology (Kenya) and Chinyere Kalu Onuoha of Nigeria, author of No One Told Me—came together with one shared mission: to break the silence surrounding perimenopause and empower African women with life-changing knowledge.

For too long, women across Africa have suffered in silence. Hot flashes, anxiety, sleep disorders, mood swings, brain fog, irregular cycles, low libido, NAME THEM! many women experience these symptoms without understanding what is happening to their bodies. In our communities, perimenopause is rarely discussed openly. Cultural stigma, misinformation, and limited access to accurate health education leave women confused, isolated, and sometimes misdiagnosed.

Chinyere’s powerful book, No One Told Me, captures this silent struggle. The title itself echoes the voices of millions of women who whisper, “Why didn’t anyone prepare me for this?” The book offers practical insights, lived experiences, and evidence-based information about perimenopause and menopause topics that remain largely invisible in many African spaces.

Recognizing the urgent need to localize and democratize this knowledge, Eunice and Chinyere launched a collaborative initiative in August 2025 to translate No One Told Me into Swahili Sikuambiwa!, making it accessible to millions of women in East Africa. Language should never be a barrier to health literacy. By translating this book, we are not just converting words but we are restoring dignity, clarity, and confidence to women who deserve to understand their bodies.

But we did not stop there.

Responding to the growing plea from women seeking answers, in September and October 2025, we organized two cross-border webinars for Kenyan and Nigerian women. The response was overwhelming. A total of 122 women participated, openly sharing their experiences and asking questions many had never voiced before. Stories poured in:

• “I thought I was going crazy.”

• “My doctor said it was stress.”

• “I felt alone.”

• “Now I understand my body.”

These conversations revealed a deep hunger for safe spaces where women can learn, connect, and heal without shame. The topic of perimenopause is not just relevant but it is urgent and current. Women are living longer, working longer, leading businesses, raising families, and shaping communities. Yet many are navigating midlife health transitions without adequate information or support.

Knowledge about perimenopause is not a luxury. It is a necessity.

When women understand what perimenopause is, they can:

• Seek appropriate medical care.

• Advocate for themselves in healthcare settings.

• Make informed lifestyle adjustments.

• Protect their mental health.

• Maintain productivity in their careers and businesses.

• Support one another with empathy rather than judgment.

This is about health justice. It is about gender equity. It is about ensuring that African women thrive, not just survive through every life stage.

Our vision is bold but achievable: to reach over 100,000 women across East and West Africa with accurate, culturally relevant information on perimenopause. With additional financial support, we plan to:

• Complete and widely distribute the Swahili translation of No One Told Me.

• Host multilingual webinars and community forums.

• Develop digital learning resources.

• Train community champions to facilitate local conversations.

• Partner with health professionals to expand outreach.

• Leverage technology platforms to reach women in rural and underserved areas.

Through this collaboration, we are building a bridge between West and East Africa, between lived experience and practical knowledge, between silence and empowerment. This will amplify a movement. A movement that says African women deserve to be informed. They deserve to be prepared. They deserve to be heard.

Together, we are transforming the narrative from “No one told me” to “Now I know—and I will tell another woman.”

Because when one woman is informed, she empowers a family.

When thousands are informed, they transform communities.

And when 100,000 women rise with knowledge, Africa rises with them!