According to Deloitte’s Women@Work 2024 Report conducted earlier this year across ten countries, 27% of women say they have experienced challenges related to menstruation, menopause, or fertility and more than 40% of women who experience high levels of pain due to menstruation say they work through it without taking time off.

“These issues are issues faced by women across the world and in Malta, we are very sure that women who work face the same challenges,” says Denise Borg Manche, Managing Director of Vivian.

“This is why it is high time that we start a healthy and proper debate about this and about the challenges that today’s women face, including the lack of support, the lack of discussion fora, and the fact that important issues such as menopause, contraception and fertility, are to a certain extent, still considered taboo subjects.”

VIVIAN, Malta’s leading distribution and marketing company for healthcare and wellness products recently announced its official representation in Malta of THERAMEX, a global speciality pharmaceutical company specialising in women’s health products.

Vivian’s representation of Theramex in Malta stems from its recently established Women’s Health Business Unit, an initiative aimed at growing a wide portfolio of new products for women.

“Theramex is a brand that empowers women to make informed decisions about how to manage the natural cycles and stages of their life so thanks to this representation, Vivian is now going to be better positioned to provide education and support around important issues and daily realities faced by women every day, such as menopause,” added Borg Manche.

“This is a global reality that affects women around the world and although there is more available information that can be accessed, many women are still undereducated about menopause and unprepared for how it can affect them in life and at work.”

Another survey conducted by UK workplace-healthcare provider SimplyHealth in late 2023 surveyed more than 2,000 working women aged 40 to 60 and in this survey, 23% considered resigning from their job due to the impact of menopause while another 14% were planning to hand in their notice.

Borg Manche noted that women facing these challenges, often choose to not speak up for fear their employers and colleagues will see them as less efficient.

The above surveys, in fact, list several reasons why women do not seek support for managing menopause at work. These include the perception of being unable to work to the same calibre, the stigma around it, and being unsure who could help – factors that fuel a larger crisis of confidence for women often at the pinnacle of their careers.

“These perceptions can be avoided if we manage to bring a shift in the narratives surrounding ageing,” she added.

Ageism is a driving force behind the silence around menopause in the office. Nearly half - 47% - of women surveyed face ageism at work. Older workers who say they are discriminated against because of their age can feel the need to work harder to prove themselves so they don’t lose their jobs.

“There is an urgent need to address the long-standing stigma surrounding menopause, not only for women of reproductive age but also for those past it, who often serve as some of the most valuable managers, leaders, and employees,” added Borg Manche.

Managing menopause at work

“Employers have long been trying to improve their employer brand by offering benefits packages to attract better talent. One other aspect of employer branding is the ability of management to manage diversity and apply inclusive policies.

Managing diversity implies that management implements measures which create a workplace that is psychologically safe for everyone, such that all employees feel empowered to deliver what is effectively expected from them and feel part of the organization they work for.

Menopause care is an area where diversity and inclusion are called into play. As in other circumstances, employers need to adopt flexible practices”, says Joanne Bondin from misco.

The measures which employers can introduce are various. Menopause care can be part of a wellness programme which many employers offer today. Such programmes generally include access to platforms that provide information, training, and educational resources.

“Women must be vocal about their needs and data is clearly showing a growing openness around the topic of menopause. The conversation is significantly more prevalent today because as a country, we need to make sure that we maximise the use of our human resources.”  

“At the end of the day, it all boils down to creating a balance between healthy human relations at work and reaching the objectives set by the company,” concluded Bondin.