Women’s Health Grampians (WHG) has a new health and wellbeing support group program, Menopause@Work, aimed at building a menopause-sensitive culture in workplace settings with a specific focus on women and gender diverse people in rural and regional areas and from diverse and marginalised backgrounds.
This initiative supports women and gender diverse people from across the Grampians region, particularly those living in rural and remote parts of the region who are experiencing menopausal transition or will do so within their lifetime, whilst managing a career.
Menopause@Work brings together two established Women’s Health Grampians programs – the Communities of Respect and Equality (CoRE) Alliance and Equality for All – to engage with workforces in targeted menopause support groups across the Grampians region.
WHG’s Menopause@Work program partners with Communities of Respect and Equality (CoRE) Alliance member organisations who wish to deepen their gender equality work by implementing menopause-friendly workplace policies and practices that enable a productive and supportive work environment where women and gender diverse people can thrive. The program will also seek to influence workplace support provisions for those experiencing menopausal transition.
Women’s Health Grampians has a strong history of supporting women and gender diverse people to tell their story to inspire change within organisations across the region. Through the Women’s Health Grampians Equality for All program, which employs women and gender diverse people from diverse and marginalised backgrounds as Equality Advocates, we worked closely with Equality Advocates to share their menopausal lived experience to create change.
We have developed a suite of resources for organisations taking part in the Menopause@Work program. They are available for download via the links below, and give a good overview of the key features of the program.
This resource provides an overview of the Menopause@Work program helping CoRE organisations better support employees experiencing menopausal transition.
The purpose of this program is to provide practical advice and actions for workplaces to remove stigma, normalise menopause and empower women in the workforce to seek out reasonable adjustments. Taking this holistic approach to menopause and work benefits women and workplaces.
Resource 2 – Experiences of menopause at work: women in the Grampians region
This resource aims to provide information about the societal context that influences women’s health experiences, including menopause. By understanding this broader context, your organisation can help improve the systems, services and supports to create better health and wellbeing for women.
Together we can minimise the economic and health impact on women leaving the workforce earlier than anticipated due to menopausal symptoms. Menopause@Work builds on opportunities to provide a safe, healthy and discrimination free workplace.
Resource 3 – Experiencing menopausal transition at work – Intersectional Women’s Stories
This resource is for women from across the Grampians region, particularly those living in rural, remote parts of the region who are experiencing menopausal transition or who will do so whilst managing a career.
Menopause is strongly associated with stigma or shame. It is not uncommon for women to feel they need to hide or play down symptoms to appear professional. This taboo status adds stress for employees and makes it difficult for employers to manage menopause sensitively. In this resource, our Equality Advocates talk about their own experiences of menopause and why it is important to create supportive workplaces for women experiencing menopausal transition and how to do this effectively.
Resource 4 – Women’s Health and Wellbeing Support Groups at Work – Overview and Purpose
As a member of the CoRE Alliance, your workplace is endorsing Menopause@Work and will be establishing a support group that staff can access during work hours. This resource provides information about the purpose of a support group for workplaces.
The purpose of having a support group at your workplace is to understand and address the challenges and barriers facing employees who are experiencing menopausal transition or will do so within the workplace. It will be a safe and supportive space to identify how menopause impacts our working life, share our stories and offer recommendations for how workplaces can become more menopause-friendly.
Funding Acknowledgement
This program has been funded by the Victorian State Government, Department of Health, Women’s Health and Wellbeing Support Group and Program Grant.
