Alero Omatsola, also known as Sisi Alero, is a dedicated women’s health advocate, speaker, and blogger with a heartfelt mission to empower women and young girls through education and awareness of Reproductive health. Her passion stems from over 30 years of personal experience battling womb disorders, which fuel her commitment to breaking taboos and providing support in this vital area of women’s health. As the founder of “Sisi Alero”, a recognised brand dedicated to promoting women’s health, she uses her platform to share knowledge, inspire change, and encourage open conversations about our menstrual health. She is also the creator of “FemPowerHub”, a safe, welcoming community where women can learn, get support, and grow together in their journey toward health and empowerment. In this interview, Omatsola whose work is driven by her belief in the importance of informed choices, self-care, speaks on passionately advocating for a healthier, more empowered generation of women.

You have an inspiring story behind championing this particular cause. How did your personal experience shape your career path?

It all started with my periods as a teenager, which escalated through, three decades of living with pain and getting gas lighted. Hearing the words “it is just your period”, “you will be fine”, “it is normal” making me feel it was all made up or the pain was not as bad as I was depicting it to be, made me learn to be quiet and create a coping  system with my body to manage the pain. After years of having surgeries and procedures, hearing and seeing other women with similar stories, I realised it was not going to stop if I did not take a stand to speak for myself. I started to speak up and was advocating for myself. This was the beginning of my advocacy and raising awareness. And as years went by, it shaped me into an educator, a trusted guide because I have been there. I can connect with and validate the feelings of women who are going through a similar journey.

⁠Through the Sisi Alero brand, how are you advocating for women’s health and providing enlightenment?

By sharing my story, journey and experiences.  By being open about my appointments, breaking down what they need to know or do before going for their appointments, creating a safe space for other women to open up, share their stories, and educate them on how to advocate for themselves. My main way of  enlightening other women is by going Live on social media to speak/teach on topics related to my experiences and related to women’s reproductive health, answer questions, bring professionals on my Live. Topics such as fibroids, adenomyosis, endometriosis, perimenopause, menopause and surgical menopause are our major discussions.

⁠How are you using your platform to shape conversations around women’s health and empowerment?

By speaking and educating about women’s health, having open conversations that people want to avoid, taking part in campaigns, collaborating with doctors and professionals and other advocates  to enlighten, educate and encourage other women. I go Live where women come to share their stories and experiences to encourage other women learn to speak up for themselves, creating workshops and simply let whoever comes through know they are not alone in their journey.

You have a strong focus on disproving different taboos around menstrual health and womb disorders. How difficult is this drive in communities that hold these beliefs strongly?

Oh it is very difficult especially as Africans, and Nigerians in particular.  Our culture, tradition and religious beliefs have made it very difficult for women to speak up, it is seen as a thing of shame. The stigma around it is so strong that sometimes I am truly at loss for words.  After getting several backlashes to make me feel ashamed and asked to stop, I got more determined to speak up. Too many woman are suffering in silence, and need help and support.  They need to get checked and diagnosed, not pray and fast or remain quiet in such debilitating pain. The church or any religious organisation needs to start educating girls from the ages of 8-9years about their menstrual cycle and sexual health (let her know the places she should not allow anyone touch and how to report if anyone tries it, what they should say if such a thing should occur) I also encourage strongly that women seek therapy, it is good to pray, but therapy helps to clear the mind and remove the weight of all that the person has been going through with no one to talk to without getting judged or mocked.  This is why I will keep speaking up and advocating for them.

What was the inspiration behind the “FemPowerHub” and how exactly are women benefiting from this community?

FemPowerHub came about after I saw that women were asking how I was able to take the step of speaking up and also sharing their own experiences with their faith and cultural setbacks. I also realised that because as black women we have been made to feel we are strong so can tolerate pain, we stay silent. The group is to give such women the power and voice they need. To build them and let them know they are more than enough and can stand for themselves. Plus, they now have support from each person in the group. A safe place for them to express themselves and rant all they want.

⁠What are some of the biggest misconceptions you’ve heard about Menstrual Health?

That period pain is normal and must be endured, that it is all in my head, that it is dirty. Which is why I no longer use the term sanitary pad but rather I say menstrual pads or products. Menstrual health is not just about period, it is a combination of the physical, mental, and social well-being of a woman. It looks at safe menstrual products, eliminating period poverty, affordable healthcare, stigma and discrimination.

⁠What changes would you like to see in the area of women’s health education?

I would like to see changes in the areas of stigma and misconceptions, move from the traditional focus on sexual and reproductive health to include a more holistic view. Include topics like hormonal balance, mental health, chronic pain and even stress and lifestyle.

⁠What role do you think the government can play in improving women’s menstrual health and women’s health education?

First by listening to the advocates and people with lived experiences, listen to the changes they are asking for. Work policies need to be looked into to help and support the women in the workplace; speak with doctors and professionals on what they need to improve care given or provided.Change in the policies that will help and support women all around. Provide up-to-date teachers in this area and if possible, add it to the school curriculum so they learn the basics about menstrual periods and how to know when a period is not normal.

What legacy are you hoping you can leave behind in the area of women’s reproductive health for the next generation of women?

To break the silence and stigma around women’s health conditions so that they can feel confident and comfortable speaking up about their womb health and bodies without feeling ashamed. That they will be able to advocate for themselves because the right tools and information are available at their fingertips.

⁠What’s your closing note to women being sidelined due to long-held misconceptions about menstrual health?

You own your body and know your body better than anyone. If your body is telling you something is wrong, don’t dismiss it, trust your instincts. If your doctor or health professional is saying everything is fine, seek a second opinion, and a third if needed. Your voice matters, your voice counts, you’re not alone. Join  a community or follow women who have similar stories or health conditions as you, learn from them, speak with them. Lastly, if you’re not being listened to by your doctor, change your doctor, get a second opinion . Make sure you are heard and listened to.