This event was partly funded through the SWDTP‘s academic-led collaboration fund. Click here to learn about funding opportunities for colleagues at our partner institutions.
Aims
The inaugural 4M conference took place on the 20th and 21st of June 2024 at the University of Exeter. The conference aimed to provide a platform for researchers and non-researchers to share their work relevant to the 4Ms, and provided an opportunity to form and build connections that will help ensure research on the 4Ms is innovative, high quality, aligned with needs and priorities, and impactful.
Attendees
There were 150 attendees, from 13 countries and five continents. Academic attendees represented 37 universities, and 28 non-academic organisations were also represented. Over one third of attendees were students.
Activities
Activities included: three keynote talks from leaders in menstrual health (Prof Hilary Critchley, University of Edinburgh; Dr Mandi Tembo, LSHTM; Prof Martha Hickey, University of Melbourne); 27 short talks from abstracts; themed panel discussions with academics and non-academic organisations; 30+ posters; stalls; a zine to incorporate the participant/public voice into the conference in a creative way; glossary of terms to aid interdisciplinary understanding; a small art exhibition; an evening event with comedy; prizes for the best poster and oral presentation by an ECR.
Materials and outputs
All sessions were live scribed by an illustrator and the visual summaries are available on our website, along with the conference book, which contains all oral and poster abstracts, and the zine. We also commissioned a short conference film, which is currently still in production and will be uploaded to our website when ready.
External attention
We had some press coverage of the conference, including an interview on BBC Radio Devon’s Breakfast Show on the 20/6 and a live interview on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour on 21/6. It was also covered on BBC online. On LinkedIn and X, several attendees posted from the conference and/or wrote excellent reviews. Some attendees also wrote reviews in blogs on their websites: South West International Development Network; Poppy Taylor (PhD student); Charlotte (MSc student – not yet online). Some of us (academics and GPs) were also invited to write an editorial for the British Journal of General Practice, which will be published as part of a special issue on women’s health in September 2024.
Attendee feedback and impact
Fifty-seven attendees responded to a feedback survey, with 100% rating their enjoyment of the conference as either 4 or 5 out of 5 (average rating 4.8; 82% 5/5 rating). According to free text responses, attendees particularly liked the diversity of the audience, in terms of sector, demographic, geography, and career stage. The conference significantly impacted attendees by deepening their understanding of complexities in menstrual health, encouraging collaboration, and inspiring new ideas in research and advocacy. Many participants left motivated to address gaps in menstrual health, particularly around education, and to include diverse voices in their work. The event helped build valuable connections and provided practical insights into better communicating and applying research in real-world contexts. Multiple attendees said that they would follow up on connections made at the conference, and that they had already discussed plans for multidisciplinary collaborations. This collective enthusiasm and commitment to advancing the field underscored the conference’s significance as a catalyst for positive change in menstrual health awareness and advocacy. The participants overwhelmingly praised the conference, expressing their gratitude and enthusiasm for the event. Many highlighted their enjoyment and the value they found in both the content and the social aspects, noting how well-organised and impactful it was. There were several requests for the conference to be held regularly, reflecting its importance to their professional and personal growth.
