ADVOCACY FOR VITAL AGING

Menopause Laws Across Asia-Pacific

Menopause Laws Across Asia-Pacific

While menopause-specific laws remain rare, several Asia-Pacific nations have begun recognising reproductive health as part of fair and safe work. The table below outlines current frameworks and evolving practices.

Country / Region Explicit “Menopause” Law Relevant Provisions Notes & Workplace Implications
Australia & New Zealand No Australia’s 2024–25 Senate Inquiry urged employers to provide flexibility and education rather than mandated menopause leave. Some public-sector “reproductive health leave” pilots exist. New Zealand’s Making Menopause Work guide promotes inclusive workplace practices though not a statute. Both nations rely on general employment and safety law. Employers are encouraged to adopt internal menopause policies covering ventilation, breaks, uniform options, and flexible work.
Japan No Labour Standards Act Art. 68 grants menstrual leave when work is “especially difficult.” Equal Employment Opportunity Law prohibits sex-based discrimination but does not mention menopause. Some companies offer voluntary support. Social stigma still limits open discussion and use of leave provisions.
South Korea No Labour Standards Act provides one day of paid menstrual leave per month. No statutory menopause entitlement, though awareness campaigns are increasing. Employers can extend existing wellness policies to include menopause; HR frameworks emphasise equality and retention of experienced staff.
Taiwan No Act of Gender Equality in Employment Art. 14 allows one day menstrual leave monthly, up to three days per year not counted against sick leave (half pay). Clear national rule on menstrual leave; menopause accommodations handled internally under general health policy.
Indonesia No Manpower Law No. 13/2003 Art. 81: workers experiencing menstrual pain may take the first two days off each period; pay varies by company practice. Implementation uneven; provides a precedent for reproductive-health leave that could extend to menopause.
Philippines No Magna Carta of Women grants up to two months paid leave for gynecologic surgery, but not for natural menopause. Employers rely on general sick leave or health accommodation for menopausal symptoms.
Vietnam No Labor Code 2019 & Decree 145/2020 guarantee a 30-minute paid break per day during menstruation, at least three days monthly, counted as working time. Sets a baseline for reproductive-health consideration; menopause support left to policy discretion.
Singapore No Tripartite Guidelines encourage age-inclusive and health-supportive workplaces. No statutory menopause leave. Employers are urged to integrate menopause education within wellness and age-management initiatives.
India No (national) Some states (e.g., Bihar) provide two days monthly menstrual leave for public workers. No federal menopause law. Private-sector firms increasingly include menopause in diversity and well-being policies.

Summary: Across Asia-Pacific, menopause remains governed by general labour, anti-discrimination and health-and-safety laws rather than explicit statutes. Employer policy and culture are therefore key drivers of support for midlife women in the workforce.

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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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