ADVOCACY FOR VITAL AGING

Menopause Declaration

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Global Declaration for Menopause

Equity and Dignity in Health and Work

We, the undersigned, affirm that menopause is a normal life stage and a critical public health, economic, and human rights issue. Around the world, millions of women in their 40s, 50s, and 60s sustain families, workplaces, economies, and communities while navigating menopausal transition with inadequate recognition, support, or protection.

Global estimates suggest that over one billion people will be postmenopausal by 2025, representing a significant share of the global workforce and caregiving labor. Yet menopause-inclusive care, data, and workplace policies remain inconsistent and, in many countries, absent. 

Unmanaged symptoms and stigma are linked to lost income, preventable resignations, reduced hours, and increased health costs. Studies show meaningful proportions of workers consider reducing responsibilities, changing jobs, or leaving employment due to menopause-related challenges. At the same time, only a small fraction of employers provide targeted support. 

We believe this is not a “women’s wellness perk.” It is an overdue requirement of modern health systems, labor standards, and gender equity.


Our Principles


Dignity as a baseline


Every person experiencing menopause has the right to be treated with respect in clinical settings, workplaces,
and public institutions, without ridicule, dismissal, or career penalty.


Recognition in global health agendas


Menopause and midlife hormonal health must be explicitly integrated into global health strategies,
noncommunicable disease frameworks, universal health coverage planning, and healthy aging agendas,
reflecting WHO’s acknowledgement that support in this phase is essential to long-term health.


World Health Organization


Evidence-based care for all


People in menopause are entitled to access accurate information, trained providers, and safe, evidence-based options,
including non-hormonal and hormonal therapies, without discrimination based on age, race, income, geography, disability,
or gender identity.


Workplaces that match reality


As global consensus statements already recommend, employers should integrate menopause into occupational health,
equity, and inclusion frameworks. Menopause-responsive policies are a driver of retention, productivity,
leadership continuity, and economic resilience.


PubMed
+2

Australasian Menopause Society
+2


No penalty for telling the truth


No one should be pushed out of work, passed over, or shamed for requesting reasonable adjustments or medical support
related to menopausal symptoms.


Intersectional and lived-experience informed


Policy and practice must reflect how menopause interacts with race, class, disability, migrant status, precarious work,
and unpaid care. Those most affected must have a seat at the table as experts of their own experience.


Data, research, and accountability


Governments, employers, and health systems must collect better data on menopause-related outcomes, invest in research beyond the most privileged populations, and publicly report progress.

Our Calls to Action

Global Health Leadership

We call on the World Health Organization and global health partners to:

  • Establish clear, practical guidance for integrating menopause into primary care, occupational health, and healthy aging policies in all regions.
  • Encourage member states to include menopause services, counseling, and medications in universal health coverage benefits.
  • Promote research and surveillance that capture menopause’s impact on health, employment, and economic security, with disaggregated data.

National Governments & Parliaments

We call on national governments and parliaments to:

  • Recognize menopause as a key life stage within health, labor, and equality legislation.
  • Embed protection from discrimination on the grounds of menopause-related symptoms or treatment.
  • Incentivize or require employers to adopt menopause-supportive policies, including flexible work options, access to occupational health advice, and training for managers.

Employers, Unions & Professional Bodies

We call on employers, unions, and professional bodies to:

  • Adopt written menopause policies developed with input from affected staff.
  • Provide training so leaders can respond with competence, not stigma.
  • Ensure health benefits, sick leave structures, and performance processes do not punish workers managing menopausal symptoms.
  • Recognize that retaining experienced midlife workers is a strategic advantage, not a concession.

Healthcare, Education & Regulators

We call on healthcare systems, educators, and regulators to:

  • Integrate comprehensive menopause education into medical, nursing, and allied health curricula.
  • Expand access to specialized menopause care and culturally competent services in urban and rural settings.
  • Address misinformation and commercial exploitation with clear public education.

Our Commitment

By signing this Declaration, we:

  • Affirm that menopause equity is a measurable, achievable standard of modern societies.
  • Support AVA and aligned organizations in presenting this Declaration and its signatures to WHO, UN agencies, governments, employers, unions, and health systems.
  • Commit, within our own spheres of influence, to ending the silence, redesigning systems, and honoring the expertise and labor of those in midlife and beyond.

Menopause Declaration

Menopause Declaration






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