"If we truly want to support and retain valued, experienced, and talented women in our sector, we must bring the menopause conversation into education."
With 75% of the education workforce being female, menopause awareness isn’t just a women’s issue it is a workplace issue. In her guest blog for NASS, Julie explores why ALL staff need to understand menopause to help retain talent, support wellbeing and create an inclusive school environment.
Join our upcoming menopause events with Julie:
Menopause Awareness for All – Open to non-NASS members (7th May) - Menopause awareness for all - 7th May 2025 | NASS
Meno Meet for Leaders – NASS female leaders only (2nd July) - Meno Meet for Leaders - 2nd July 2025 | NASS
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Why should we be talking about menopause with all staff?
It was a great watershed moment in 2020 when menopause was added to the sex education curriculum delivered in secondary schools. However, whilst future generations will benefit from this, many women of menopausal age are still unaware of what to expect during this time. In ‘The Invisibility Report’ conducted in 2020 by GenM Official, 1 in 2 women admitted they didn’t know what was happening to them, 2 in 3 women reported being blindsided and 49% couldn’t name any symptoms of menopause. There is clearly a huge education and awareness piece still to be undertaken with staff.
How will talking about menopause improve retention?
Approximately 10% of women leave the workforce due to symptoms of menopause and countless others go part-time or step down from senior roles. If we are to retain talented women in our schools and colleges, we must do better at raising awareness and providing support during menopause.
Why is menopause a whole staff issue?
Education has a female-dominated workforce. An estimated 75% of staff in education are female and over 90% of staff in support roles are women. Promoting awareness of menopause amongst staff not only benefits females but can also benefit all staff members in their capacity as managers, colleagues, partners and friends to understand and support. Reducing stigma and starting conversations around menopause in the workplace can also encourage more women to seek help.
Many women struggle in silence as they navigate menopause while balancing the intense demands of their roles. Why does this matter? Because organisations must recognise, understand, and support their staff through this life stage - not only as a matter of wellbeing but also as a legal and ethical responsibility.
What age group does menopause effect?
It is estimated that there are currently 15.5 million women in the UK of menopausal age. This is because menopause actually refers to three stages - Perimenopause, when hormones begin to fluctuate and symptoms may appear (average age 45); Menopause, the time when a woman has not had a monthly cycle for 12 months (average aged 51) and Post-Menopause,the time after menopause when symptoms for most women (but not all) will decline.
If the average female life expectancy in the UK is 83 years – then the ‘average’ woman will spend about half of her life in the stage we call ‘menopause’, equating to around 50% of her working life!
1 in 20 women will go through an early menopause before the age of 45 and 1 in 100 before 40. Given that perimenopause symptoms can start up to 10 years before menopause – this means that women in their 30’s or younger can be experiencing symptoms and women of any age can experience a surgical or clinical menopause.
What are the symptoms of menopause?
There are more than 48 different physical and psychological symptoms associated with menopause. Ranging from changes in periods, hot flushes and migraines to anxiety, low mood and insomnia. These can vary in severity and duration and can change throughout the course of menopause. The Government’s Report on Menopause and the Effects of Women’s Economic Participation suggest that 3 in 4 women experience symptoms with 1 in 4 experiencing significant symptoms. The differences in the type, severity and onset of symptoms for different ethnic groups can also be an issue.
Because of this lack of awareness and understanding, many women dismiss their symptoms or are misdiagnosed. Understanding the stages and symptoms of menopause is vital if women are to navigate this transition and be empowered to look after their physical and mental health and seek the appropriate support.
What can we do to support women in the workplace?
Firstly, open up the conversation around menopause and engage in some menopause awareness training for all staff, allowing for the creation of a more inclusive menopause friendly workplace.
Adopting a menopause policy prevents discrimination and signals to employees that they are supported. Allowing for reasonable adjustments such as regular toilet breaks and good ventilation can also have significant personal benefits for women, as well as enhancing engagement.
We must also make this conversation inclusive and recognise that ethnicity, disability and being part of the LGBTQ+ community plays a role and can lead to additional barriers and make it difficult to access appropriate support.
If we really want to support and retain valued, experienced and talented women in our sector, it is vital that we bring the menopause conversation to education. Take the first step in introducing the conversation of menopause in your school, college or educational setting to help improve staff knowledge, wellbeing and retention.