Guardian Malaysia shines a light on the overlooked stage of women's health

Guardian Malaysia has launched a nationwide advocacy campaign to raise awareness of perimenopause, as the retailer expands its health and wellness positioning by turning its stores and digital platforms into support spaces for women navigating midlife.

Dubbed "Embracing midlife wellness", the campaign spans Guardian's online and offline ecosystem, combining educational resources, pharmacist-led guidance and curated product recommendations to help women better understand and manage the often-overlooked life stage.

The initiative comes as an estimated 3.59 million Malaysian women aged 35 to 49, equivalent to 22% of the country's female population, are expected to experience perimenopause over the next decade.

Don't miss: Interview: How guardian Malaysia's rebrand is redefining the beauty industry

The campaign is underpinned by qualitative research conducted through a Listening Lab in collaboration with Malaysia's Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development. The sessions found that many women struggled to recognise the early signs of perimenopause, often attributing symptoms such as hot flushes to the weather, acne to stress, migraines to other causes and mood changes to personal shortcomings.

Participants also highlighted a lack of understanding from those around them, with one respondent noting that many Malaysian men were largely unaware of how perimenopause affects women.

To kick off the campaign, Guardian hosted a panel discussion featuring healthcare and wellness experts, including Premitha Damodaran, consultant gynaecologist specialising in menopause and women's health at Pantai Hospital Kuala Lumpur; women's wellness coach and pilates instructor Nadhrah Maidin; and neuro-counselling psychologist Lennie Soo, founder of 360 Wellness Hub. The discussion was moderated by television presenter Daphne Iking.

As part of the campaign, Guardian has introduced three key initiatives: an educational 'Perimenopause hub' available through its app and website, dedicated in-store consultation spaces where shoppers can seek advice from pharmacists, and easier product discovery through MTick-certified products available both online and in stores.

The retailer has also created dedicated in-store displays featuring curated menopause and perimenopause products, while enhancing its eStore with MTick certification to help shoppers identify suitable solutions more easily.

“Many Malaysian women in their late 30s and 40s are silently struggling with signs they cannot name. This needs to change,” said Priscilla Wu, managing director of guardian Malaysia and Brunei.

Wu said the Listening Lab revealed significant gaps in awareness and support for women experiencing perimenopause, reinforcing that it is not a niche issue but one affecting women across Malaysia. As the country's largest health and beauty retailer, Guardian aims to help customers make informed health decisions by providing trusted expert advice, accessible information and curated solutions throughout different life stages.

She added that a key part of the initiative is Guardian's participation in the GenM Collective and its adoption of the MTick certification system. The universal certification symbol is designed to help shoppers more easily identify products across categories such as vitamins, sleep and heart health, skin health, hair and body odour, and feminine care that may support one or more of the 48 recognised signs of menopause.

"To all the Malaysian women out there who are in their late 30s and 40s, midlife is no longer a time of doubt and silent suffering. The new dawn starts today as we strive to help empower you to navigate midlife with confidence,” added Wu.

The campaign comes as brands increasingly address women's wellbeing and confidence through more nuanced marketing. Earlier this month, Safi repositioned its anti-ageing skincare line with a campaign centred on confidence and self-empowerment rather than skincare benefits alone. Created by MBCS, the creative agency under Omnicom Media Malaysia, alongside media agency PHD, the campaign marked the relaunch of Safi Rania Gold as Safi Youth Gold Rania.

Titled "Semarakkan seri keremajaan bersama Safi Youth Gold Rania" ("Enhance your glow with Safi Youth Gold Rania"), the initiative encourages Malaysian women to rediscover their confidence by addressing insecurities associated with different life stages, including ageing, marriage and motherhood.

Related articles: 
Guardian Malaysia reimagines “ONG” with health-focused CNY micro-drama    
Guardian MY wants you to own your beautiful in major campaign push 
What if Raya gifting isn't just about money? Guardian’s campaign offers a take