In an effort to dispel social stigma around menopause in the Arab world, TENA, the world’s leading incontinence brand, in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, will celebrate women and foster expert discussions on the theme as part of an event on January 27 at EXPO 2020 from 6- 9 pm UAE time.

Taking place at the Swedish pavilion, the event is part of a broader umbrella campaign “Despair No More”, driven by TENA to tackle stigma connected to female health and ageing. The event will be initiated through an augmented reality (AR) experience, where visitors will be able to witness the word “Age of Despair” being transformed to “Age of Renewal” through artistic visualizations. The event is free to attend for ticket holders to EXPO 2020.

This activation will be inaugurated with a speech from Shereen Reda, acclaimed Egyptian Actress, and be followed by a panel discussion titled “Breaking Stigmas around women ageing”,moderated by the award-winning TV presenter, Rania Ali. The session will hostMariarosa Cutillo, Chief of Strategic Partnership within the Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships of UNFPA; Shereen Reda, and Meta Redstedt, Global Brand and Communication Director of TENA. The discussion aims to shed light on the perception of women in menopause in the Middle East and to identify strategies to support them. The event will close with Ghalia Benali performing the song Despair No More, the campaign’s anthem dedicated to women going through menopause.

Mariarosa Cutillo, Chief of Strategic Partnership within the Division of Communications and Strategic Partnerships of UNFPA, said, “It is imperative that we as a community collectively work towards shifting mindsets towards menopause within the broader conversations around women’s health, and shifting the narrative from what was previously described as age of “despair” to a more positive label. EXPO 2020 allows us to take this message to the whole world.”

Yosra Embabi, Marketing Manager Middle East & Africa of TENAcommented,“Bringing our message to the global stage through EXPO 2020 is a significant milestone within our campaign to shift the narrative from“Age of Despair”. Through this campaign, we at TENA are taking the opportunity to support women of menopausal age more agency and confidence in their lives. We believe it’s crucial to break down the stereo types associated with aging and with it subjects such as incontinence.”

Earlier this year, UNFPA announced that Age of Renewal has been selected as the new description for menopause in Arabic. Age of Renewal has now been added to Al Maany, the Arabic dictionary as a new entry.

The term ‘Age of Despair’ has been used to describe menopause over generations, and TENA’s survey has revealed that an overwhelming majority of women would prefer a new and more positive phrase to define this physical and psychological stage of a women’s life. The initiative aims to break the taboo of incontinence in society. According to National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), urinary incontinence is one of the greatest global health disorders, with 1 in 3 women over 35 experiencing symptoms and 1 in 4 of all men over 40. With stigma associated with the condition, globally urinary incontinence is under-reported, under-diagnosed and under-treated.

Essity is actively part of the Swedish pavilion at the Dubai World Expo and provides the everyday sanitation, menstruation and incontinence products from leading brands Tork, Nana and TENA to secure safe and hygienic visits.

To find out more information about the campaign visit (https://www.tena-me.com/ar/women/age-of-despair).