Today is Menopause Awareness Day. In honor of that occasion I was invited to speak at AARP National Headquarters in Washington DC as part of a panel. The topic was Navigating Work and Life During Menopause.
During the panel, one speaker shared the results of an anonymous survey that asked women “in one or two words, describe menopause.” The results were impactful. Here is a representative summary:
Old, Miserable, Past their prime, Broken, A burden, Irrelevant, Cranky, Can’t bear kids,
Dismissed, Unattractive, Sad, Tired, Dried up, Winey, Ignored
I have to admit, hearing these phrases made me sad as they were revealed. It clearly demonstrates the negative perception of menopause expressed by the women surveyed. Clearly, not all women view menopause through such a negative lens; but many do. That is why much more awareness and education is needed.
Midlife women can be elevated and menopause can be more universally viewed as the normal midlife transition that it is. There are so many treatments available today. No women should have to tough it out. But she does have to figure it out.
In the book that I co-wrote with my wife, Dr. Sharon Seibel, Working Through Menopause: The Impact on Women, Businesses, and The Bottom Line, we described a pathway that businesses can use to change this perception.
By increasing menopause awareness, the taboo that is associated with the very mention of the word can be overcome. With that, there is an opportunity to form advocacy. And advocacy can lead to acceptance of menopause as the normal transition that it is. Once menopause is accepted as a normal transition that occurs in all women who live long enough to reach it, action can take place. And the sum of these steps can transform the workplace, or any place where women work, live or are participating.
Awareness, the first step in transformation, is an important part of what National Menopause Awareness Day is all about. I look forward to a time when everyday is National Menopause Awareness Day.
In honor of National Menopause Awareness Day, please enjoy a no cost copy of The Hot Years Magazine.
