Why don’t we know about Menopause until it's already happening?

Imagine a world where you hadn’t been told about puberty.

Do you recall having ‘THAT’ lesson at school? Giggling kids in a classroom, staring uncomfortably at some badly drawn genitals on a shaky overhead projector? A teacher who knew they’d drawn the short straw in the staff room, trying to pass-off this information as ‘completely normal’ when the occasional chorus of ‘Eurghhh!’ from the pre-pubescent pupils would suggest otherwise?

The point is, when these weird changes started happening to our little bodies, we knew why.

More importantly, we knew it would also happen to every single one of our friends. From the very cool kids, to the ones who never spoke, puberty was a great leveller. It was neither a cause for shame or celebration, it didn’t pick kids at random, it was just a ‘thing that happens’.

Menopause is a bit like that.

Why the menopause affects us all

Menopause is just another ‘thing that happens’. Another natural process that will affect 50% of the population and will indirectly affect the other 50% (Men, you’re in this too). From sharing a bed with a partner who is having trouble sleeping, experiencing hot flushes or changes in their behaviour, to working with a colleague who might be trying to deal with any combination of the 30+ symptoms menopause can throw at them. We are all in this together.

So why doesn’t anyone prepare us for menopause?

I’ve worked with leaders for over 25 years, helping senior people to navigate obstacles in their careers and present the best version of themselves, repeatedly and reliably. When I set up Working Menopause, people’s reactions to my elevator pitch fell firmly into two camps. I was either met with a wave of relief that this important subject was finally going to get the recognition it deserved, or a look of fleeting horror that the word ‘menopause’ should be mentioned out loud in a corporate environment.

Thankfully those in the yes camp have gone on to reap the benefits of understanding how they can support women in the workplace that are going through this natural transition. This includes retention of female talent, reduction in sick leave and overall understanding leading to better organisational outcomes and cultural cohesion.

And for those that were mortified by the mere mention of the word 'Menopause', we say that…

“Until we proactively address the discomfort some of us feel about menopause, we can’t move forward, we can’t support our teams and we can’t stop women ending their careers prematurely. Gender parity will be even more of a distant dream than it already is.”

We’ve moved on in leaps and bounds since I sat in my cold 1980’s Sex Education classroom. So if my awkward, down trodden, short straw teacher managed to prepare us for something as big puberty, just imagine the incredible difference you could make to your teams with the right menopause information.

Find out more about the services we offer at Working Menopause.

If you would like to talk to us about menopause awareness coaching in the workplace please do email us sonia@workingmenopause.co.uk