October is Menopause Awareness Month! Let’s talk about it, shall we?

Every year, menopause quietly erases workplace opportunities:

5,400 workdays vanish due to unaddressed symptoms.
Women’s prime earning years are cut short, with $2.3 billion lost.
1 in 10 women leave the workforce because their symptoms go unmanaged.
70% of women won’t bring it up to HR or their manager because of the stigma and fear.

As Stanford researcher Petra Persson put it:

“The economic losses for working women in menopause are substantial. Our study suggests policies aimed at supporting women who suffer more serious symptoms around the menopausal transition may have wide-ranging economic benefits.”

This is why menopause is more than a health matter — it’s a workplace equity issue. When stigma forces women into silence, careers stall, pay gaps widen, and organizations lose valuable leadership talent.

And yet, the misconceptions linger. Too often menopause is reduced to “just hot flashes.” In reality, shifting estrogen levels affect nearly every system in the body from sleep and cognition to cardiovascular and bone health. At the same time, not every ache or fatigue is menopause; dismissing all midlife symptoms as hormonal risks missing other real conditions.

Perhaps the most harmful myth of all? That women should simply tough it out. Untreated, symptoms can last years and raise risks for long-term health issues.

I know this firsthand. When menopause arrived earlier than expected, I realized how few resources existed for executives navigating this life phase. That gap inspired Lauren Glazer and me to create MPower: a community and platform designed to help women lead and thrive through menopause at work and beyond.

Here's where men matter. Men play a critical role as colleagues, partners, and leaders. A simple shift in language, from “Isn’t it just hot flashes?” to “This transition is real. How can I support you?” can open doors to dignity instead of dismissal. When men lean in as allies, organizations shift from silence to strength.

We’ve begun partnering with ERG groups and leadership teams to spark courageous conversations about menopause. Together, we’re helping organizations create environments where women stay uninterrupted in their careers and thrive in this life stage with strength and dignity.

We do this through:

✨ The Menopositivity Keynote: an energizing talk that shifts mindsets and breaks stigma.

✨ The MPower Webinar Series: expert-led sessions on health, identity, and vitality, from wardrobe to nutrition to libido and beyond.

✨ The MPower “Envision” Coaching Program: small group and 1:1 support that helps women (and their allies) reclaim clarity and confidence.

We only have a few keynote dates and spots still available!

Click here to explore how we can bring this conversation to your organization — and send this blog post to your workplace's ERG groups, to your bosses, and to anyone who is an advocate or sponsor for women.

Together we unleash forward,
Salima Valji

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