For the first 30 years of my career, I never heard the word ‘menopause’. How ridiculous is that? But now there are more menopausal women at work than ever before.
With 2 in 5 women saying their menopausal symptoms were worse than they expected and the majority of women unwilling to disclose menopausal health-related problems to their line manager, it’s important that all employers put the right awareness, education and support in place.
In my role as President of Dorset Chamber, I am determined to create a culture where it is easy to talk about menopause, and I do hope that by continuing to talk about this subject I can inspire other organisations to do the same.
It’s now not a taboo subject at Dorset Chamber, and I hope that we as a leading organisation in Dorset, and others like us, can turn this challenging time for women into a more positive transitional experience.
I want any woman going through menopause to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. You may not feel like the woman you once were, but you’ll evolve into a new woman who is kinder to herself, and who has the inner strength and wisdom to remain a very important, in fact vital, part of the workplace and wider society.