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Menopause and workplace;
why aren’t Indian workplaces talking about menopause
You cannot talk about an equitable workplace without talking about menopause. So often, women suffer in silence without realizing they can get help.
Statistics show that around 1 in every 3 women has either experienced or is currently going through the menopause. Around 8 in every 10 women will experience noticeable symptoms and of these 45% will find their symptoms hard to deal with. Some women may cope well with the physical and emotional changes, but for others they may cause particular difficulties both in work and out of work.
These problems are made worse by the fact that there remains considerable ignorance and misunderstanding about the menopause, with it often being treated as an embarrassing or taboo subject, or even a topic to make fun of.
The menopause is a natural transition stage in most women’s lives. It is marked by changes in the hormones and the woman stops having periods. Women may also experience a wide range of physical and psychological symptoms as a result of the menopause. In the years leading up to it, called the perimenopause where there can be significant changes for women, with irregular and heavy menstrual bleeding and many of the classic symptoms associated with menopause. Many women with symptoms have at least two or three years of ‘hormonal chaos’ as their oestrogen levels decline before the last period, although for some this can go on for five or more years.
Whether it is embarrassment, lack of knowledge, gendered ageism, or any other stigma, women’s health is rarely a topic of conversation in most social settings, let alone in the workplace. Globally, there will be more than a billion menopausal individuals by 2025, it’s time we start talking about the impacts of menopause on the workforce.
If every woman will experience menopause at some point in their life then it is also equally essential for workplaces to be sensitised about this life stage, as most women are likely to be working in significant positions during this stage. Workplaces must understand the implications it may have on women employees’ health and also put in place support mechanisms for those who experience challenges.
Perimenopause begins 8-10 years before menopause occurs. As with menstruation, physical symptoms during menopause and perimenopause can vary widely across women. There are 35 physical symptoms that can be experienced during perimenopause and menopause,’ most common symptoms include hot flashes, insomnia, weight gain and changes in skin and hair condition, sexual health and wellness, intimacy and relationships, predisposition to cardiovascular risks, sudden palpitations, insulin resistance and osteoporosis,’ While these are largely physical symptoms, physiological changes can impact mental well-being leading to issues like anxiety and depression because of hormonal changes.
What makes these physical and emotional challenges worse is the isolation and silence surrounding this stage of life, in both private and public spheres. While there has been a slow uptick in conversation about women’s health on topics such as menstruation, fertility, PCOD and endometriosis in recent years, menopause and perimenopause have been largely left out of this discourse.
Women in their 40s and 50s face a unique challenge in the workplace. They are often caught in a double bias because of their age and gender. While many diversity and inclusion initiatives are aimed towards increasing and retaining women in the workplace, they fail to acknowledge the physical and mental realities of women in this demographic.
It is also important that leadership teams (both men and women) are sensitised to the physiological and emotional realities of menopause and perimenopause.
Workplaces can provide policy changes and accommodations like Health insurance top-ups, Cool rooms that one can retreat to while experiencing hot flashes, Temporary or permanent remote working options etc.
Beyond accommodations, the leadership must examine their organisation’s hiring, promoting and appraisal policies for conscious and unconscious gender and age biases.
Being part of support group can go a long way in normalising these conversations and improving awareness. Inviting health specialists and researchers who have studied this life stage to speak to your female employees can improve preparedness for the challenges that come with it and empower male employees to be sensitive to their colleagues, while also informing senior leadership to enable affirmative policies and accommodations.
Menopause is not a problem or disease. It’s a transition, a change in a woman’s life. Providing a supporting and nurturing ecosystem can lead a long way in improving retention and truly building an equitable and inclusive workplace.
Bloom_demystifying_menopause is a support community dedicated to creating more awareness about menopause.
Author
Shivani katyal, a bloomdiva