Tag Archives: #Ajumma

SYMPTOMS OF MENOPAUSE & MIND MAP

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(NOTE: ‘women’ in this project refers to individuals who identify as such and/or are born with a genetic makeup that necessitates undergoing the female menopausal transition – peri-menopause, menopause, and post-menopause. For convenience, I will use the term ‘menopause’ to encompass the whole transition and the second half of women’s lives.)

 

I have gathered common symptoms of menopause according to the current scientific literature.  Here is the mind map to visualise the symptom categories.

colourful bubbles with lots of text. Each bubble is linked by lines to other bubbles.

Mind map to list official menopausal symptoms and recommended treatment options, alongside my collaborators and my thoughts.

Close up for the official symptoms:

Green bubbles with text

The official symptoms of menopause. Depending on research, some of these symptoms are either excluded or included.

But more I do research and listen to the lived experience, the more I think the officially acknowledged symptoms are rather short.

It is evident the official list is a work in progress, because depending on the paper, some researchers mention only a few symptoms; for example, some say mental health, including anxiety and depression, is NOT a part of menopause, while others vehemently disagree. I happen to tick most of the boxes on the list for my own symptoms, AND have some more –

Note the blue circle below. When I mention this to all the women I’ve spoken to, most women say ‘oh yeah…’ with a knowing nod when I mention them.

Two pink rectangular bubbles. and a blue circle on the right.

The left text is the condensed version of the officially recognised menopausal symptoms. On the right is the ones I could list that should be included.

People intolerance. I’m no longer tolerant of certain behaviours I see in people around me. It gives metaphorical hives and nausea. Perhaps it’s turning into an allergy. Many would verbally express it as “I’m done with that (or you)”. It is a nice form of an allergy. All ajumma must have this allergy. If you have this allergy, you are an ajumma. I love you.

Since I’ve created the mind maps, there has been an update. According to the largest menopause study by Zoe from the UK, there are now 38 known menopausal symptoms. But people intolerance isn’t one of them yet. It should be.

 

ABOUT AJUMMA

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Ajumma [Ah‑Joom‑Mah] is a Korean gender‑ and age‑related derogatory term used to depict women in menopause, usually those in heterosexual marriage with a few obligatory children. It is a label for Korean menopausal women, implying they are “over the hill,” “no longer worthy of the male gaze,” “too loud, crazy, outspoken,” or that they’ve “let themselves go” in appearance — stereotypes that reduce them to caricatures rather than people. Today, no woman wants to be called Ajumma, as it is considered beyond the “attractive age.” I suppose “attractive age” must mean the reproductive age, because society still tends to value women most when they fall within that period.

Tem portrait images of asian women, squatting down and posing for the camera, all wearing colourful mismatched clothes with sun visors.

Stereotyped images of Ajumma. Image: Pinterest

Growing up in South Korea, I remember it was still a developing, low-income country. Unlike the current perception, the meaning of Ajumma was quite different back then. From my perspective as a child, I looked up to them, and I needed them to survive. Continue reading →

ABOUT THE PROJECT – AJUMMA WELLBEING CLINIC

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AJUMMA WELLBEING CLINIC is a participatory art–science performance installation that reimagines menopause and Korean Ajumma identity through a speculative Social Prescribing framework.

What and who are Ajumma?

middle-aged asian women sitting in a row on the public bench, eating and sharing food. They wear colourful mismatched clothes with backpacks and hats.

Ajumma sitting in a row on a public bench, sharing food. Notice their comfortable clothes, shoes, tight perm. Most of them are wearing hats to protect themselves from the sun. Image: Pinterest

Ajumma [Ah-Joom-Mah] means a Korean gender and age-related derogatory term depicting women in menopause. It is a title for Korean menopausal women to attribute them as ‘over the hill’, ‘no longer worthy of the male gaze’, ‘too loud, crazy, outspoken’, ‘they’ve let themselves go with their appearance as they’ve become too pudgy and no longer wear trendy clothes’. Currently, no woman wants to be called Ajumma as they are considered beyond the attractive age. I suppose ‘the attractive age’ must mean the reproductive age because the societal value for women is usually confined within the range of the reproductive period.

In partnership with ANAT through their Bespoke Program 2026—an opportunity I feel deeply privileged to receive—AJUMMA WELLBEING CLINIC challenges the stigmatising perceptions of menopausal women and Ajumma, whose experiences of dismissal, stereotyping, and invisibility closely mirror those of many menopausal women in Australia. Continue reading →