Half of Portuguese women have low self-esteem, according to a study

ANDBetween the ages of 50 and 59, one in two Portuguese women have low self-esteem. This is the main conclusion of a Dove study, entitled “Self-esteem and the aging of women”, which analyzes how advanced age affects the self-esteem of Portuguese people aged 40 and over, in different age groups.

“Although two out of three women have positive self-esteem in this age group, there is a clear decline in self-confidence from the age of 50, which coincides with a phase of great transformation for women: menopause,” it said in a statement. , which adds that 84% of women between the ages of 50 and 59 don’t feel valued or appreciated.

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On the same note, psychologist Filipa Jardim da Silva states that “the fear of getting sick, of losing value as a person and as a professional, of losing autonomy, of ceasing to be attractive or of being alone, are the main fears associated with advancing age, which when not recognized and regulated, can lead to anxiety disorders and depressed mood.” “Some of the physical and hormonal changes inherent in menopause can affect how women feel about themselves,” she says, emphasizing that “we have to remember that this is the phase that ends the female reproductive cycle, ending up marking the passing of time. a very specific way, which often affects the woman psychologically. Menopause also coincides with other important changes in a woman’s life, such as children leaving home or losing family members.’

In addition, 67% of women believe that there are few support resources for coping with menopause and 54% believe that it is still a taboo subject for society. In fact, “society in general still has little understanding of the various stages of a woman’s life, including menopause. This translates into a lack of adequate multidisciplinary health care, a lack of prevention plans, or the rigid and little empathy with which people and even some companies treat women as they age,” adds the expert.

The study also reveals that one in five women over 40 have been the victim of negative comments or age discrimination. Discrimination occurs mainly in a professional context (66% of cases) and is criticized mainly in the performance of duties and functions.

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