We are delighted to share another article from our guest blogger, Teresa Coburn. Teresa is a registered nurse with 30 years of clinical experience. She is now using her expertise, knowledge and skills to create engaging and socially responsible health content.
Today, we are delighted to share an article from our guest blogger, Teresa Coburn. Teresa is a registered nurse with 30 years of clinical experience. She is now using her expertise, knowledge and skills to create engaging and socially responsible health content.
If you have ever had a period, you will know how uncomfortable it can be! Stomach cramps, mood changes and craving sweet foods can be common symptoms.
But what is happening inside our bodies to make us feel this way?
Girls usually start their periods during puberty, typically between the ages of 11 and 17, and they will get periods all their life until they reach menopause around the age of 50. Also called ’Menstruation’, this is the regular vaginal bleeding that happens as part of the monthly Menstrual Cycle.
The Menstrual Cycle is a complex 4-stage process, driven by several important hormones, that happens every month to prepare the body for pregnancy. If pregnancy doesn’t occur, the period starts and the cycle begins again.
Stage 1. Menstruation (Days 1-6) – This is your period. The lining of the uterus sheds and you lose blood from your vagina. It marks the first day of the cycle and usually lasts for around 5 days.
Stage 2. Follicular phase (Days 7-11) – This is the time between your period coming to an end and before you release an egg (ovulate). During days 7 – 11, an egg starts to mature and the lining of the uterus thickens, ready to receive a fertilised egg and develop into a pregnancy.
Stage 3. Ovulation (Days 12 – 16) – An egg is released from the ovary. This usually happens in the middle of the cycle around days 12-16. The risk of pregnancy is very high if the woman has sex during this stage.
Stage 4. Luteal phase (Days 17-28) – This stage is the 11 days leading up to your next period and completes the Menstrual Cycle. The egg travels to the uterus through the fallopian tubes. If the egg is fertilised it will attach to the lining of the uterus and the woman will become pregnant. If the egg is not fertilised, the uterus gets ready to shed its lining and the menstrual cycle starts again from the beginning of Stage 1.
Although the menstrual cycle can average 28 days, many women experience differences in the length of their cycle. Anywhere from 21 to 35 days is common. And it can change each month depending on age, and lifestyle factors like stress or diet.
The hormonal changes that occur during the Menstrual Cycle can have a big influence on your moods and emotions. Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS) is a term used for the range of symptoms you can experience in the days before your period (Luteal phase). These can include:
During this time, it is important to take care of yourself, physically and emotionally. Try to get a good sleep each night. Staying hydrated, eating regular healthy meals and taking gentle exercise can help stabilise your mood and your appetite.
The first few days of your period (menstruation) can be uncomfortable and you may experience:
The pain should be mild and easily managed with over-the-counter painkillers such as Paracetamol or Ibuprofen. Gentle exercise, like walking, can also help ease the pain.
A hot water bottle or heat packs can be soothing for the tummy and the lower back.
Some people find aromatherapy oils to be calming and relaxing. Lavender is a good choice to mix with olive oil and massage over your tummy.
Meditation and deep breathing, or relaxing in a hot bath can also help. But sometimes rest is all you can manage, so curl up with a good book, or a favourite TV show if you get the chance.
If any of your symptoms become severe or unmanageable, last longer than a few days, or you develop a fever, please go and see your doctor. There may be something else going on that needs medical attention.
Sometimes our menstrual cycle fluctuates and we notice different symptoms. This usually means our body is experiencing changes. If you experience any of the following, please go and see your doctor.
• Spotting or bleeding between periods or after sexual intercourse.
During your period, it’s important to use menstrual or sanitary products correctly, change them regularly and maintain cleanliness to prevent complications or infections. Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water, before and after changing your menstrual products.
Some options for menstrual products include:
Both of these options need to be disposed of correctly in a bin and not flushed down the toilet.
These are reusable, climate-friendly and cost-effective options. They need to be cleaned thoroughly after each use.
A healthy menstrual cycle is a complex dance of hormones that can be uncomfortable on occasion but is a natural and normal part of being a female. Understanding the process may help alleviate some of the discomfort and confusion you may have during this time. Making sure you are looking after your physical and emotional wellbeing during each stage is essential. Choose the sanitary protection that suits your lifestyle the best, and always maintain clean hygiene practices.
And remember, if you experience any unusual symptoms or have any concerns, please contact your doctor.
We are thrilled to announce that three of our EmpowHer workshops have received CPD (Continuous Professional Development) certification. The workshops, titled Making SMART Money Moves, Thriving in the Workplace Through NCD Self-Management, and Navigating the Digital World, have been recognized for their quality and value in empowering women living with chronic health conditions.
This certification highlights our commitment to supporting women’s professional growth and personal well-being. In this article, we will delve into the significance of continuous professional development, particularly for women facing chronic health challenges.
Continuous Professional Development plays a vital role in empowering individuals to enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities throughout their careers. For women living with chronic health conditions, engaging in CPD opportunities becomes even more essential. Here’s why:
CPD workshops enable women to acquire new skills and knowledge relevant to their profession. With rapidly evolving workplaces and industries, staying up-to-date is crucial. By participating in our EmpowHer workshops, women can enhance their abilities, adapt to changing work environments, and become more competitive in their fields.
Living with chronic health conditions can present unique challenges, often impacting one’s self-confidence and overall well-being. Engaging in CPD activities offers an opportunity for women to regain confidence and take control of their professional growth. By attending our certified workshops, women can acquire valuable insights, strategies, and tools to overcome obstacles and thrive in their careers.
Participating in CPD workshops fosters networking and the establishment of connections with like-minded professionals. Women living with chronic health conditions may face specific workplace challenges that can be better addressed through shared experiences and support. Our EmpowHer workshops provide a safe and inclusive environment for networking, allowing women to connect, share knowledge, and build a supportive community.
Investing in professional development positively impacts overall health and well-being. By attending workshops focused on chronic health conditions and self-management, women can gain valuable insights into maintaining their physical and mental well-being while excelling in their careers. EmpowHer’s Thriving in the Workplace Through NCD Self-Management workshop, for instance, equips participants with practical strategies for balancing work demands with chronic health conditions, fostering a healthier work-life integration.
We are proud that our EmpowHer workshops—Making SMART Money Moves, Thriving in the Workplace Through NCD Self-Management, and Navigating the Digital World—have received CPD certification. This recognition emphasizes our commitment to supporting women with chronic health conditions in their professional growth and personal well-being. Continuous Professional Development offers a transformative pathway for women to enhance their skills, boost their confidence, and thrive in their careers despite the challenges they may face. Through our certified workshops, we aim to empower women to overcome obstacles, achieve success, and lead fulfilling lives both personally and professionally.
CPD certification ensures that our workshops meet the rigorous standards set for professional development, enabling participants to earn CPD points as recognition for their engagement and dedication to lifelong learning.
Join us in our CPD-certified EmpowHer workshops and embark on a journey of continuous growth, empowerment, and professional success.
On April 28th, 2023, the EmpowHer project held a successful workshop focused on PowerPoint and Digital Marketing for women living with chronic health conditions. The workshop was the third in a series of IT workshops facilitated by Keisha Archibald, the Business Development Manager at EZone. The session was split into two parts: one hour on PowerPoint led by Ms Archibald and one hour on Digital Marketing which was led by guest speaker Ms Kelly Louisy.
The topics for this workshop were selected based on feedback received from women who attended our previous IT workshops and confirmed the information that we had gathered on the need to empower women living with NCDs with practical skills to enable them to thrive in this new digital era.
The ability to use PowerPoint is important as it equips individuals them with an additional skill for job success, specifically confidence and creativity when it comes to public speaking. Whilst Digital Marketing is essential in helping expand a person’s reach, creating a personal brand, and thus generating income. Together, these skills work hand in hand to help women build their public persona which can thus improve their job prospects as well as lead to business success. This can then put them in a position to better manage their chronic illness and thus live full, successful lives.
We were therefore, delighted that all attendees were highly satisfied with this workshop describing the session as “great” and “really good.” Furthermore, participants reported that they are highly likely to use what they had learnt during the session and that they felt more confident using PowerPoint and about digital marketing.
In conclusion, the EmpowHer workshop on PowerPoint and Digital Marketing was a success, and the positive feedback from the participants shows that it was highly useful for their personal and professional development. The EmpowHer project is committed to continuing to empower women with the skills they need to succeed, and we look forward to organising more workshops in the future.
We are very grateful to Ms Archibald and Ms Louisy for their valuable contributions to this workshop.
On April 22nd, 2023, the EmpowHer project held an online workshop titled “Amplifying Your Voice.” The goal of the workshop was to empower women living with chronic health conditions through self-advocacy. The workshop was led by Julia Mandeville and Vania Patrick-Drakes from the Barbados Association of Endometriosis and PCOS. The workshop covered the foundation of health literacy, the principles and benefits of self-advocacy, and goal setting.
The participants found the content to be thorough yet simple and adaptable. They appreciated the guidelines for self-advocacy, the personal bill of rights, the different types of self-advocacy and the sharing of testimonies from other participants.
Participants said they were ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to use the skills they learned in the workshop, and participants reported feeling more confident speaking up and advocating for themselves as a result of the workshop.
In conclusion, the “Amplifying Your Voice” workshop was successful in empowering women living with chronic health conditions through self-advocacy. The workshop provided valuable information and skills that participants can use to advocate for themselves and make informed decisions about their health.
Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is a fundamental human right, which means that everyone should have access to essential health services without financial hardship. While some progress has been made in some parts of the world, gender inequality remains a significant barrier to achieving UHC. Women and girls face unique challenges when it comes to accessing healthcare, including discriminatory policies, social and cultural norms, and economic constraints.
In February, the Commonwealth Foundation hosted a Roundtable discussion on Advancing Universal Health Coverage through Gender Equality. The event was attended by health experts and civil society leaders, including our Programme Director, Abi Begho. The event was an opportunity to discuss the importance of gender when introducing universal healthcare and to explore ways to make health systems more equitable and inclusive.
During the discussion, panellists shared insights on why gender-sensitive health policies matter, what policies make health systems more equitable and inclusive, and how to build adequate and resilient health systems that are efficient, accessible, and equitable. Civil society leaders working directly with communities on health access for women and girls also shared their experiences and provided valuable input.
One of the key takeaways from the Roundtable discussion was the need for gender-sensitive policies that address the specific health needs of women and girls. This includes policies that address reproductive health and maternal health, as well as policies that address the unique health needs of women at different stages of their lives, such as menopause and post-menopause.
Another key takeaway was the importance of building adequate and resilient health systems that are efficient, accessible, and equitable. This includes investing in health infrastructure, training and supporting health workers, and ensuring that essential medicines and supplies are available and affordable.
The discussion also highlighted the importance of involving civil society in the policymaking process to ensure that the needs and perspectives of women and girls are taken into account. Civil society organizations play a critical role in advocating for gender-sensitive policies and holding governments accountable for their commitments to UHC.
At the end of the discussion, participants had the opportunity to develop key policy asks that will go to Health Ministers and policymakers within and beyond the Commonwealth. This was an important step in ensuring that the voices of civil society are heard and that policies are developed with the needs of women and girls in mind.
In conclusion, the Commonwealth Foundation’s Roundtable discussion on Advancing Universal Health Coverage through Gender Equality was an important event that highlighted the need for gender-sensitive policies and equitable health systems. It was an honour to contribute to this conversation and to work alongside other health experts and civil society leaders to promote UHC for all. By working together and advocating for gender-sensitive policies, we can create a world where everyone has access to essential health services and can live healthy, fulfilling lives.
Women living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) need to have IT skills in today’s digital age. Excel is one of the most commonly used software for data entry, analysis, and management. Having Excel skills can help women with chronic illnesses track their condition, manage their daily activities and improve their professional skills, making them more competitive in the job market. Equipping them with additional skills like these is essential in empowering women. Therefore, as part of our EmpowHer project, we facilitated an Excel workshop for women living with chronic health conditions. The workshop was held on 13th April 2023, and it was facilitated by Keisha Archibald, the Business Development Manager at Ezone and was the second workshop in Ms Archibald series on Navigating the Digital World.
The workshop was practical, allowing attendees to work on a budget which allowed a range of topics to be explored, including how to sort and filter data, formulas, concatenation, rules, combining information from multiple cells, and more. The step-by-step nature of the workshop and the interactive nature of the session made it very engaging and enjoyable.
All attendees were very satisfied with the workshop with the presenter’s knowledge being highlighted as one of the most beneficial aspects as well as the step-by-step nature of the workshop and being able to practice Excel and learn how to navigate through the different features.
Participants reported feeling ‘more confident’ using Excel as a result of the workshop and stated that were ‘very likely’ or ‘likely’ to use the skills learned. When asked about what skills they plan to use, the responses varied from using Excel to create a budget and present business reports to improving daily work skills and creating charts and graphs.
In conclusion, the Excel workshop for women living with chronic health conditions was a success. The highly practical approach taken by Ms Archibald, coupled with the step-by-step guidance helped participants to gain the necessary skills to use Excel effectively. The positive feedback from participants underscores the importance of providing IT skills to women living with NCDs. Our EmpowHer project remains committed to empowering women living with chronic health conditions.
Providing women living with NCDs with IT training is crucial in today’s digital age. It enables them to access health information, connect with others, and manage their conditions effectively. On March 30th, 2023, we hosted a workshop on Navigating the Digital World, facilitated by Keisha Archibald, IT Specialist and the Business Development Manager at eZone.
In this blog post, we present feedback from the participants, including what they found most helpful, skills they plan to use and additional comments and feedback
Women living with NCDs face numerous challenges in managing their conditions. Inaccessibility to information, inadequate health systems, and lack of access to healthcare providers can lead to poor health outcomes. However, technology provides an opportunity to improve the lives of these women. IT training equips them with the skills and knowledge to access health information, connect with healthcare providers, and manage their conditions effectively.
The Navigating the Digital World workshop aimed to provide participants with essential IT skills to improve their daily lives. The workshop covered various topics, including productivity tools, navigating email, and cybersecurity. The workshop was attended by 11 out of the 16 registered participants.
Overall, the majority of participants (10) were very satisfied with the workshop, while one participant was satisfied. Participants found the many ways IT can improve everyday functions, productivity tools, and helpful ways to navigate emails, among others, the most helpful aspects of the workshop. No participant found anything least useful about the workshop.
Regarding the skills they plan to use, the majority of participants mentioned using Zoho for invoicing and enhancing their business records. Other tools like ChatGTP, Quickbooks, PowerPoint features, and learning about security and passwords were also mentioned. Eight participants said they feel more confident using IT after the workshop.
In terms of additional comments and feedback, participants were highly appreciative of Keisha’s excellent presentation and expressed eagerness for more practical sessions covering Excel Spreadsheet, Graphic design, and Invitations. Participants also suggested offering further training, even if it has a cost, to expand their knowledge and skillset.
The Navigating the Digital World workshop provided participants with essential IT skills and knowledge, empowering them to manage their health conditions and improve their daily lives. The feedback received from participants indicates that the workshop was successful and beneficial to them. We appreciate the participants’ feedback and suggestions, and we plan to incorporate them in our future workshops to enhance the learning experience. Providing women living with NCDs with IT training is critical in today’s digital age, and we remain committed to equipping them with the necessary skills to navigate the digital world effectively.
In today’s blog post, we are thrilled to share insights from Terysia Herbert-Browne, our Consultant Project Officer for the EmpowHer project. Terysia offers her unique perspective on the project’s impact thus far. Join us as we explore the journey of EmpowHer and how it’s empowering women to reach their full potential.
EmpowHer is a woman-led initiative that hopes to equip women living with chronic diseases with the tools needed to achieve success in their personal and professional lives. The project taking off during Women’s History month 2023 is quite fitting. So far we have had a cohort of dope, ambitious, women partake in our workshops. Our participants have engaged in workshops around budgeting and financial wellness; how to embark on successful entrepreneurial ventures; best practices for navigating success within their career as well as tools for self-management of chronic diseases in the workplace. I am proud to seeing the participants actively taking part and getting the most of out of the workshops. I am especially impressed by our facilitators most of whom are local women in various career fields, each at the top of their games in their respective careers while also actively working to improve the lives of women around them. The saying “Empowered women, empower women’ comes to mind, and I think our facilitators are fantastic examples for our providing another invaluable aspect of the initiative.
While I do wish to see more women in the federation take advantage of this powerful workshop series, I am very proud of our current cohort; I mean we have a wide range of awesomeness! From PhD candidates to veteran entrepreneurs to women involved in multiple business ventures. These ladies are already doing the work to ensure that they and their families are well taken care of. Being a part of this initiative has left me both humbled and inspired. I think one of the most powerful results of Empowher is the networking opportunities it brought about. We have women from all walks of life discussing their goals and realizing the potential for collaboration. I also think being surrounded by like-minded, go-getter women has given a lot of us the validation we didn’t know we needed to go forth and conquer our dreams. Women of St. Kitts/Nevis have always been hard workers, so that’s nothing new, what I am seeing recently is a shift in the power dynamic. We are being more intentional in our pursuits, we are working smarter, identifying ways to support our families while still being present, we know our worth and are charging accordingly.
The EmpowHer project set out to ensure women had the tools needed to live the best version of their lives, and while I think it is accomplishing that task, I think we also got to see “iron sharpen iron” an outcome we didn’t fully expect, but absolutely welcome. I’m excited to see how the ideas and collaborations birthed during the EmpowHer workshops translate into new jobs and business ventures and ultimately future success for our participants.
Women living with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) often face unique challenges in achieving their career goals due to their health conditions.
Their health condition can have a significant impact on their daily life and it can thus be challenging to maintain a fulfilling and successful career whilst managing an NCD and balancing the many roles that women play in society. Providing career development training and guidance can help women living with NCDs overcome these challenges and achieve their career goals.
Our “Unlock Your Career Potential” workshop, was held on March 11, 2023, and was facilitated by Desery Ottley -Tyson, the Assistant Human Resources Director at the Four Seasons hotel in Nevis. The workshop aimed to provide women with career development training and guidance to overcome the barriers they face while striving for career success.
The workshop covered six keys to unlocking career potential, including self-confidence, discipline, optimism, branding oneself, resilience, and good communication skills. Additionally, guidance on salary negotiations was provided.
All participants were very satisfied with the workshop. Participants found the workshop to be “phenomenal”, “informative”, and “an eye-opener”. They also appreciated the tips provided for unlocking their career potential, particularly with regard to building self-confidence. Furthermore, participants stated that they felt more empowered to take action in their career development and appreciated the different perspectives, ideas, and ways to deal with the situations discussed during the workshop. They also found the affirmations to be useful.
All participants stated that they were very likely to use the information provided in the workshop. They explained that they plan to use the skills they learnt to expand their expertise and for professional and career development. Participants also stated that they felt more confident about achieving their career goals as a result of the workshop.
In conclusion, our feedback evaluation reveals that the workshop was well-received by participants, who found it to be informative, useful, and confidence-building.
The feedback also highlights the importance of providing career development training and guidance for women living with NCDs. By empowering women with the skills and confidence needed to achieve their career goals, we can help them overcome some of the challenges associated with living with an NCD.
