The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day on 8 March is #EmbraceEquity. Creating a fair and equal world, challenging gender stereotypes, calling out discrimination, drawing attention to bias, and seeking out inclusion.

All key factors for employers to consider as part of their progression to becoming menopause friendly. Fostering an environment that’s conducive to anyone going through, supporting or wanting to understand more about menopause is a big step on this journey.

The dictionary definition of equity is ‘the quality of being fair and impartial’. A great aspiration for employers in terms of menopause. Don’t always assume those wanting to talk about it will be menopausal women. Don’t always think menopausal women will be struggling. Don’t think someone younger can’t be experiencing menopause. By removing all our ingrained assumptions about menopause, we can move further towards the aim to #EmbraceEquity.

Menopause: a subject for everyone

One of our own themes is that menopause is something that can affect anyone. Whether they’re experiencing it themselves, or have a partner, friend, family member or colleague who is struggling with symptoms, it’s absolutely a topic for everyone.

And for those who are experiencing it, each is unique. The age it begins, what symptoms start to show and when, how these symptoms develop and their intensity, the duration… there’s no such thing as a textbook menopause.

Employers seeking to introduce support and achieve The Menopause Friendly Accreditation do need to realise that a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach simply won’t work. It’s about understanding, accepting and supporting each person’s own individual standpoint.

Creating space to talk

While menopause is, thankfully, discussed much more openly and frequently now, it remains a highly personal subject. Some people just don’t like to talk about things they consider private to them. Others may find it difficult to talk about it at work, or find that cultural norms make it harder for them to open up.

If someone prefers not to talk about menopause, that’s absolutely their decision to be respected. But for those who just don’t quite know how or where to start, employers can play a key role. You can create a safe space, one where colleagues understand they will be treated with dignity and respect. Where conversations are treated as sensitive and confidential, where they know they won’t be fobbed off or thought less of for raising.

What makes a ‘prime employer’?

The International Women’s Day community work with partners and supporters who elevate women in the workplace and celebrate their achievements.

Their criteria for the prime employers for women are those who:

• demonstrate executive leadership commitment to gender equality
• embrace a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion
• forge a female hiring pipeline from early career to executive level
• value and support flexible working arrangements
• provide formal avenues to address any concerns of bias
• ensure women’s inclusion from supply chain through to decision making
• ensure marketing and communications are consistently free of stereotyping
• provide external support for women’s advancement
• monitor progress and outcomes from diversity initiatives
• participate in external validation of progressive employer practice

This is an excellent checklist for employers seeking direction in shaping their policies and practices, recruitment, induction and training, facilities and culture in light of menopause support.

This attention to equity can reap dividends. It can single your organisation out as a great place to work, where employees feel they can flourish and progress under a supportive spotlight. Not only can this help with retention, but can make you a much more attractive proposition in terms of recruitment, as job seekers actively look for companies demonstrating a practical and applied approach to responsibility.

As ever, while these dates in the calendar serve as a great way to focus attention and explore a theme, a commitment to being menopause friendly is all day, every day, every month, every year, taking your learnings and expanding and developing your offering. Putting menopause support in place is never a tick in a box. It’s an ever-evolving mission, which can only help to strengthen your organisation.

Are you ready to #EmbraceEquity? What is your organisation doing to mark this International Women’s Day and embed the theme in your everyday activities?

How menopause friendly is your organisation? 

Deborah Garlick

Deborah is passionate about helping women live better lives by educating on the facts about menopause. She’s the CEO at Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace and author of Menopause: the change for the better. And also founder of Henpicked.net.