Education key to busting menopause myths says leading OU expert

A long awaited report by an All-Party Parliamentary Group into the menopause has finally been published and it is calling for more urgent help for women.

Commenting on the final report of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Menopause’s inquiry published today, Jo Brewis, Professor of People and Organisations at The Open University, said:

“Alongside the work of the Women and Equalities Committee, published earlier this year, this report is another welcome intervention into a topic that still needs more attention, particularly in the workplace. I’m pleased to see a whole chapter devoted to this topic, alongside health and social care recommendations. Most women, as well as some transgender men and other gender-diverse people, will go through the menopause transition during their working lives and employers must do more to recognise their duty of care and support.”

Everyone ought to know what this thing is, who it affects and how diverse an experience it can be. It doesn’t happen in old age. It doesn’t send you loopy and, for as many as 40 per cent of people, it has little to no impact on their lives. I’d like to see more education in schools and workplaces and better skills development for physicians. The more we keep this conversation going and amplify it, the more we’ll understand menopause and the better we’ll be able to support those who struggle through the experience. The time has more than come.

Professor Jo Brewis

Jo was the lead author of the 2017 UK Government Equalities Office commissioned report ‘The effects of menopause transition on women’s economic participation in the UK’.