At AVA, we believe women’s midlife health belongs in the global equity conversation. The realities of midlife shape participation, safety, and opportunity across workplaces, families, and communities.
We advance standards of dignity and fairness while respecting culture and lived experience. Our aim is simple: expand what institutions recognize as normal, so support is consistent, respectful, and accessible.
Vitality at any Age. Audacity at Every Chapter. The Narrative of Decline Ends Here.
Framework for Women Navigating Middle Chapters.
The empty nest, shifting family dynamics, or caregiving roles often lead women to ask: Who am I now that I’m no longer needed in the same ways? This pillar explores rediscovering purpose, boundaries, and self-definition beyond traditional caregiving identities.
Menopause, hormonal shifts, sleep disruption, and changing metabolism can deeply affect energy, cognition, and confidence. This pillar centers on informed health literacy, body awareness, and using evidence-based approaches to vitality rather than fear or stigma.
Whether through burnout, layoffs, or new ambitions, midlife women often navigate reinvention while balancing financial responsibilities. This pillar focuses on re-skilling, entrepreneurial pivots, and reclaiming professional agency — not as survival, but as strategic evolution.
With changing friendships, evolving marriages, and greater spiritual awareness, this pillar examines emotional longevity — how women rebuild community, belonging, and meaning in ways that align with their present self.
Menopause is not a niche concern or a private inconvenience. It is a defining health and work reality for millions of people who keep families, hospitals, schools, companies, and communities running.
When systems ignore menopause, they signal that experience is expendable, pain is acceptable, and silence is the cost of staying employed. Recognizing menopause as a core standard of care and workplace design is how modern institutions prove they are serious about equity, safety, and retention.
Behind every resilient organization are experienced women who bring balance, insight, and institutional memory. The data above highlights why supporting women in midlife isn’t just fair — it’s smart business.
Women aged 55+ now make up 10.6% of the U.S. labor force — up from 6.9% two decades ago.
• Participation among women aged 55–64 has grown from 56.6% in 2003 to 59.6% in 2023.
• As of 2025, women 55–64 maintain a participation rate of ~61.7%.
Women over 50 are twice as likely to create successful businesses as those in their 20s.
• Women now start nearly 49% of all new U.S. businesses — a record high.
• Entrepreneurs aged 45–64 consistently show the highest startup success rates nationwide.
You’re ready to feel aligned, body, mind, and purpose. Whether you’re navigating menopause, a career change, or simply craving clarity. AVA helps you create a version of midlife that feels vital, balanced, and fully your own.
You’re building a culture where women’s health, leadership, and longevity matter. AVA partners with medical centers and employers to design inclusive, menopause-aware wellness strategies that improve retention and morale.
You believe community fuels change. AVA hosts Vital Circles and collaborates with mission-aligned organizations to spark dialogue, education, and growth through workshops, retreats, and advocacy initiatives.
Menopause isn’t a single story — it’s a spectrum of experiences shaped by biology, culture, and context. These insights rarely make the headlines, but they matter deeply.
Black women often enter menopause nearly two years earlier than white women and experience more severe hot flashes and sleep disturbances — patterns linked not only to biology but also to chronic stress and social inequities.
Researchers are finding that menopause is also an inflammatory shift. Changes in immunity and stress exposure may explain why joint pain and fatigue rise during this stage, even for active women.
Fluctuating estrogen temporarily alters brain energy use — leading to “brain fog.” Neuroscientists describe it not as decline, but as the brain’s way of recalibrating to new hormonal rhythms.
Studies show that financial and job-related stress predict symptom severity more than body weight or exercise level. Chronic instability raises cortisol, amplifying vasomotor symptoms and anxiety.
Hormonal shifts alter liver enzyme activity and fat distribution, changing how some drugs are processed — including antidepressants and anesthesia. Most medication guidelines don’t yet reflect this reality.
Cultures that stigmatize menopause report higher distress and symptom severity. Open dialogue and education help women experience this transition as renewal, not decline.
Let’s change how menopause is understood, supported, and discussed — together.
Join the Conversation
Countries where older women remain active contributors to the labor force.
13.6%
Share of total labor force aged 65+ (2022)
Senior participation ranks among the highest globally. Many women continue in part-time and advisory roles.
High senior participation24.5%
Share of people aged 70+ who are working (2024)
Later-life work is common and rising, reflecting longevity and evolving norms around purpose and income.
Later-life work rising77%
Employment rate for women aged 55–64 (OECD 2023)
Flexible work and strong social policy support sustained careers for women in midlife.
Strong midlife employment70.3%
Employment rate for women aged 55–64 (OECD 2023)
Continuous upskilling and digital training underpin later-career participation.
Upskilling focus59.6%
Participation rate for women aged 55–64 (2023)
Midlife women are growing in both employment and entrepreneurship.
Talent strategy shift2×
Workforce aged 65+ roughly doubled over two decades (ONS 2024)
Flexible work and cost-of-living dynamics sustain later-life participation.
Growth over time65%
Participation rate for women aged 55–64 (2023)
Policies support phased retirement and consulting pathways for seasoned professionals.
Phased retirement77.2%
Employment rate for ages 60–64 (OECD 2024)
Among the very highest later-career employment rates in the OECD.
Global leader75.3%
Participation rate for women aged 55–64 (2023)
Consistently strong midlife participation supported by flexible work culture.
High participationSchedule a private 30-minute call to explore how AVA can support your next chapter — personally or organizationally.
Our mission is to make midlife work in everyday practice. We connect dignity, policy, and operations with clear language, manager-ready skills, and privacy-first reporting so support shows up where work happens and results can be measured.
We envision workplaces where experience stays in play. Policies are usable, supervisors are prepared, and leaders can track progress across hospitals, public agencies, and industry.
Dignity: People first in every decision.
Coordination: HR, Legal, and Operations in step.
Evidence: Lived experience meets data.
Practicality: Plain language and usable tools.
Accountability: Outcomes you can stand behind.
AVA (Advocacy for Vital Aging) is a mission-driven platform advancing dignity, health, and equity across the full arc of women’s lives, with a focused lens on midlife.
Midlife is not a detour from “normal” life. It is a predictable chapter that deserves literacy, respect, and systems that respond without stigma.
We center lived experience, cultural context, and the everyday conditions that determine whether people feel believed, protected, and able to thrive.
Equity must include age and women’s health. The realities of midlife shape participation, safety, and opportunity across workplaces, families, and communities.
We work to expand what institutions recognize as “normal” so support becomes consistent, respectful, and accessible, rather than dependent on individual advocacy or luck.
We measure progress by what changes in real life: reduced stigma, clearer pathways to support, and environments where dignity holds, even under pressure.
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No problem. Many people start with a simple discovery call. We’ll help you find the best path based on your goals — or even blend approaches if that’s what serves you best.
While AVA’s mission centers on women’s vitality and midlife health, our work extends to anyone — individuals, clinicians, and leaders — who believe in creating inclusive, age-aware environments where everyone can thrive.
A relaxed, focused conversation (usually 20–30 minutes). We’ll discuss your goals, challenges, and desired outcomes. You’ll leave with insight — not a sales pitch.
Yes. AVA partners with hospitals, clinics, and corporate teams to design workshops, policy frameworks, and wellbeing initiatives tailored to your culture and workforce needs.
Not at all. AVA was created for this exact stage — when you’re aware that change is happening but not sure what comes next. Sometimes, the first step isn’t action; it’s understanding. That’s where we begin.
The first consultation is a no-pressure introduction — complimentary for individuals and initial discovery calls with organizations. It’s your opportunity to explore whether AVA’s approach aligns with your goals before committing to a program or partnership.
Testimonials
AVA partners with individuals, teams, and organizations ready to lead the change in how midlife is understood and supported. Whether you are navigating personal transition, designing inclusive workplace policy, or seeking expert insight into menopause and vitality at work — our programs are built to meet you where you are.
