Addressing the menopause through an intersectional lens
To understand the varied experiences of different women, we held focus groups with different groups of women to hear how their experience of the menopause was unique and what support they would like from their employer.
Black women: Black women explained that because they so rarely work with colleagues who look like them, and feel that their ability is always being questioned, they are nervous to speak about their experience of the menopause for fear it would further undermine how others perceive them.
They believed that employers need to continue efforts to challenge racism in the workplace, train managers to be able to discuss race and racism, and increase the number of Black women in senior leadership positions in order to create a safe environment for Black women to seek support for the menopause. Currently, with so few Black women at the top, Black women who overcome barriers to become senior leaders have no one to discuss the menopause with:
Women of Colour: The women who took part in the women of colour focus group described the different expectations they face not only in the workplace, but also in the home, and the pressure they feel to perform at their best for their employer and their family. These women described that the experience of the menopause has made it even more difficult to meet these expectations and believed that employers should be more understanding of the different roles they must balance.
Disabled women: The disabled women we spoke with explained that it is difficult to tell the difference between their menopause symptoms and symptoms of their ongoing disabilities. As well in some cases, the menopause made their ongoing conditions worse. They believed that better employer awareness about the menopause, as well as disability, would lead to greater empathy and support from their workplace.
LGBQ women: Women in the LGBQ group living with another woman explained that they experienced the menopause differently to women living with a male partner. For example, one participant found out she was menopausal only when her and her partner were both hoping to undergo IVF treatment to each carry a baby. She described the pain she felt watching her partner become pregnant knowing that she would not be able to.