Use it or lose it.
I’m talking about women and their reproductive systems, and how it very muchs seems like women get penalised when they use their reproductive system to make babies (with a bit of help obviously), or lose it, when they reach menopause and stop having periods.
How does your workplace treat you? What policies are in place?
Last week after talking with a client, I became quite disillusioned for a short period of time, as I got to thinking about how some corporate companies have a big focus on being menopause accredited and menopause friendly, when they are possibly not even women friendly in the first place.
New mums being asked to make challenging commutes,. which is these days is NOT exactly affordable just now, and as well as the communte, they have to resort to childcare which can sometimes be in excess of £100 a day depending on how my children they have.
I got to wondering about how many new corporate premises actually have on site nursery and creche facilities for employees. If there were more single Dads with sole custody, would we witness an increase in this kind of option being available?
Women showing up in the workplace but losing 80% of their wage to travel and childcare costs, that doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.
So what is it like for you? What’s your experience of this?
So far, after asking more questions, it seems like public sector employees, and some charities, which includes universities, have a much better balance and have policies in place to support maternity/new mums/women in menopause, but the other comments do tend to be that it does depend on who an employees line up is, as to how well they are adhered to.
Then in perimenopause and menopause, there is now a focus on how to support women going through this time of life, and more awareness of exactly what these phases of life are, and what happens during them. That’s fantastic, but has it made a real and signficant difference to how women are viewed when maybe feeling a bit off colour, or having trouble with concentration, stringing a sentence together.
I really do hate the fact that women, when it comes ot our periods (not me anymore), or menopause, we get the accusation of being ‘a bit hormonal’ thrown at us.
Men can be incredibly hormonal too, and if you want any evidence of that, go to a football match.
And now we are in place, where unfortunately menopause is now a product. We have menopause coaching courses, and menopuase accreditors as far as the eye can see.
It has become something to sell, other than something that every woman should be writing to their MP and MSP about, and getting their health boards to take notice and have strategic support available for women.
In all honesty, I am one of them. I am a menopause educator, and I wrote a book about menopause 2 years ago (available on Amazon!) and the reason I did it? My business was shut for 9 months over the 2 years pandemic. My one income stream got cut off. Eek.
So, as a menopause educator what do I do? Do I raise my hands in the air with exasperation, or do I dig in and carry on.
Dig in.
I have a voice and I’m using it.
Elizabeth x