Unpacking Space, Place, and Labor in Experiences of Menopause

Research in Human-Computer Interaction has begun to examine women’s midlife health and their experiences with menopause. This research has found that menopause has a geography—it is shaped by the places in which it is experienced, from homes to workplaces. In this paper, we further explore this idea in two ways. One is how the intertwining of these places shapes implications for health technologies. Additionally, we examine menopause and technology in cultural contexts beyond the Global North. We present a study of women’s experiences with menopause in urban Pakistan, drawing on surveys and interviews incorporating visual prompts, as well as supplementary interviews with physicians. Using feminist theories of geography and labor, we analyze how space, place, and labor shape women’s experiences of menopause. We draw on our findings to surface implications for technology design that work towards more supportive environments that enable women’s well-being and meaningful choice in care-seeking.