Sharon James, a women’s health educator and menopause coach based in Dubai, once assisted a client who was dismissed from her flight attendant job shortly after experiencing menopause-related symptoms like weight gain and fatigue. “The airline noticed and her supervisors sent her for an evaluation,” James explains. The result? “They said it was all in her head,” James adds. “They grounded her until she lost weight.” Expecting a woman going through menopause, with significant hormonal changes, to lose weight is as unreasonable as asking a toddler to recite Shakespeare.
After another evaluation focused on her mental health, she was prescribed antidepressants—often seen as society’s catch-all solution for women’s mysterious ailments. “She was understandably low because she was grounded,” says James, co-founder of the GCC Menopause Summit, launched in Dubai last year. “Eventually, they fired her for not ‘meeting the criteria’.” Upon returning to her home country, she was diagnosed with severe perimenopause, according to James.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Research from BUPA and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) indicates that nearly a million women in the UK have left jobs due to menopause symptoms, and 17% have considered quitting due to lack of support for menopause symptoms. The stigma is exacerbated by using terms like ‘menopausal’ as derogatory insults against older women, keeping the topic largely taboo.
In the UAE, Donna Howarth, founder and CEO of the Middle East Menopause Organisation (MEMO), highlights the “unique blend of cultural, professional, and personal challenges” women face when dealing with menopause at work. “Silence and stigma, lack of workplace policies, fear of judgment, limited access to informed healthcare professionals, and a diverse workforce with varying cultural understandings are major issues,” she notes. “With employees from the Arab world, South Asia, and the West, there’s no universal experience, often leading to little open discussion.”
MEMO is launching a UAE-based survey to explore how menopause is experienced at work across different sectors and nationalities. Howarth aims for at least 500 responses over the next few months through MEMO’s networks, social media, and partner organizations. “Our conversations and survey data reveal that stepping back from work, either temporarily or permanently, is common,” she explains. Women often reduce work hours, step down from leadership roles, or switch to less demanding jobs, especially those in their late 40s or early 50s managing both careers and caregiving roles at home. “Many of these decisions could be avoided with more workplace flexibility, awareness, and support,” she says, adding that MEMO is developing corporate workshops and toolkits to help create menopause-inclusive environments.
Small Step, Giant Leap
Some companies are changing the norm by introducing activities and initiatives like educational webinars, intranet content, wellness summits, and leave policies to support women transitioning into menopause. James notes that such companies often have a global presence, with headquarters in the UK, the US, or other countries where these policies exist. “They advocate for it globally and want their Middle East branches to get educated too,” explains James, who has conducted around 50 workshops for corporates.
Earlier this year, DNV, a global quality assurance and risk management company based in Oslo, launched a ‘Menopause Hub.’ Fizza Sabir, regional people and culture advisor, says it’s a global project rolled out across branch offices worldwide. Sabir, who attended the GCC Menopause Summit, has seen the impact menopause has on colleagues. “Some male managers have asked, ‘What can we do for team members going through menopause?'”
DNV publishes a comprehensive intranet guide with information, advice, and statistics on menopause and hosts global webinars on hormonal health and menopause’s impact on women’s health and productivity. A well-being summit for employees, including discussions on menopause, is planned for later this year.
Unlike mental health, menopause is a relatively new focus for HR departments. Happy employees make successful companies, and with experienced female employees either leaving or frequently using insurance, Sabir notes that addressing menopause could be financially beneficial. “We need to gather data to demonstrate this,” she adds.
Since March 2023, TishTash Communications offers flexible, unrestricted paid leave for health needs, including menopause. Founder and CEO Natasha Hatherall, who struggled with perimenopause, says, “Nothing prepared me for this phase.” Running a business for 13 years, she understands how lack of support can push women to leave the workforce, losing valuable talent.
Nabta Health offers initiatives like a ‘women’s career and leadership support programme’ with mentorship and flexible working options to prevent career stagnation during demanding life phases like perimenopause or menopause, explains founder and CEO Sophie Smith. They also have a menstrual leave policy and provide a comprehensive annual health check tailored to each woman.
A Long Road Ahead
However, such companies are still in the minority. James receives numerous responses whenever she posts on social media about menopause challenges at work. Women share how they’ve lost confidence in meetings or presentations. “I remember using full sentences in PowerPoints because I couldn’t recall what I wanted to discuss,” she says.
“This year, we’re focusing on careers and the workplace at the summit, offering a ‘career clinic’ for women to discuss issues like CV writing,” James continues. Experts highlight the need for companies to recognize the diverse menopause experiences and wide-ranging symptoms.
Dubai resident Sara Beattie experienced severe menopause symptoms while working as a teacher in Hong Kong. “I developed an irrational fear of driving,” she says. Symptoms like driving anxiety, headaches, and dizziness affected her teaching job in the UK. “I forgot people’s names and had delays in conversations,” she recalls. Her experiences led her to launch projects exploring menopause, including ‘The Age of Renewal,’ inviting women to share their experiences creatively.
Companies should go beyond cosmetic changes like extra fans for hot flashes and instead offer meaningful support, like hybrid work models, flexible timings, and supportive colleagues. Menopause is part of aging, and experts argue companies should not view it as a problem but as a cultural change opportunity, which takes time, says Beattie.
