A group of wāhine are reclaiming traditional Māori knowledge and practices around menopause. They say menopause is not the end, it’s the beginning of a new phase of life and responsibility.

“Ko te ruahinetanga i mōhio ke au, me timata mai i te whare, nē? Tō tātau whare o ngā wāhine. E toru ngā whare, ara o te whare puhi, ko te whare tangata me te whare noa,” says tohunga Awhitia Mihaere.

For Priscilla Te Hau of Ngāti Whakaue, she says there is a big difference between menopause and ruahinetanga.

“Menopause I see as managing symptoms, whereas ruahinetanga is a lifestyle. It’s our roles and responsibilities as sacred knowledge holders. It’s not the ending, it’s a new beginning.”

According to Women’s Health Action, the average age for menopause in Aotearoa is 51.5 years, with most wāhine experiencing it between ages 42 and 56.

He wānanga, he whakarauora i ngā kōrero tuku iho

Recently, Priscilla began researching and sharing her own experience with ruahinetanga, noting there was a lack of cultural support for wāhine Māori experiencing menopause.

“In April last year, I resigned from my mahi and decided to dedicate my time, full time to researching what it meant for Māori. I couldn’t find any literature on menopause, and that’s when the seed was planted to host the ruahine menopause empowerment symposium.”

She is the founder of Te Ohomauri Innovations. She says the symposium took place in Rotorua last December and it created space to reframe menopause through a Māori lens.

“From that symposium the idea was to build a framework that would support wahine going through ruahinetanga.”

“Our tupuna lived completely different lives. They ate differently. We lived differently. We were connected. I learned that it’s an ascension, where your wairua and wisdom are at their peak.”

Awhitia Mihaere (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) was one of the experts at last year’s symposium, alongside Dr Ngahuia Murphy and Dr Sally Rye. Born in Tokoroa and raised by her kuia, Mihaere is known as a tohunga ruahine and rongoā Māori practitioner.

She says what is now known as western science has been instilled by Māori for generations.

“[My kuia] would ferment tuna, everything. Koirā tā mātau tino kai. Ehara ēnei kai e kite au i ēnei rā. Kua ngaro ēnā o ngā kai. E ai ki ngā Pākehā, ko western science tēra, ko te probiotics tēnā kei roto i a tātau.”

Guided by her pakeke, Mihaere says every milestone in womanhood was celebrated.

“Nā o [mātau ]tīpuna [i] mahi tohi i runga i a mātau.” she adds.

“Kia whakatau, kia whakanoa i a tātau i runga i te mōhio, koinā te wā e timata e koe te whakawhiti mai i tēnei whare ki tēnei whare.”

Mihaere says there are different kōrero from different iwi. The kōrero passed down to her includes a different kupu and meanings for ruahinetanga.

“Te kupu Māori nei, ko horowai. Ka horowai te wai i roto i a koe.”

“Ko te tino ahi kei roto i tō tinana. Ka puāwai te tīmatanga o te ahi, ka horowai tō tinana.”

Ngā tautika-kore i te rāngai hauora

Dr Tania Huria (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri), a long‑time hauora Māori advocate and a kaimahi for Menopause Wellbeing, says she experienced early menopause in her 30s, and now champions more inclusive, equitable health care.

“Advocating for the decolonising of our health spaces, so our clinicians are educated that actually there are other ways of viewing this transition, and that the ways of viewing and experiencing menopause for wāhine Māori look different,” Dr Huria says.

“It’s always been there, but due to colonisation and the way our health system is configured, they haven’t been front and centre and may not have appeared in spaces where people seek support.”

She also points to systemic inequities in care. According to the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), Māori women are nearly 50% more likely than average to report feeling less physically able to do their work during menopause and are more likely to reduce their hours or take extra leave.

“Our health system needs to recognise that women’s health has for decades been underfunded, and targeted investment is required if we are to reach whānau ora.”

Priscilla hopes the knowledge will eventually become common for future generations.

“I envision that in five years’ time, we won’t need to host these wānanga. It will be embedded in our next generations. They’ll understand and know what to do, what to expect.”

“Ruahinetanga is a time to reset, to reflect, to cleanse and to prepare for the next stage of life. For me, it’s a responsibility that I have for the next generation.”