Menopause and work in Canada: Menopause is natural, suffering is not

Crushing fatigue, hot flashes (or should we say hot flushes), burning, itching, mood swings, heart palpitations, brain fog, anxiety, loss of self. What’s happening to me? Who can I talk to? How do I work? Sound familiar?

After a bit of an extended pause, we begin the new year with the Menopause Foundation of Canada’s latest report: Menopause and Work in Canada.

Foundation co-founders Janet Ko and Trish Barbato discuss the complex issues impacting a quarter of Canada’s working population as they embark on an important milestone in the prime of every woman’s life; yet one that is still subject to the heavy silences surrounding women’s health, in policy, in healthcare and in the workplace. 

Reflecting on women’s experiences as well as her own, Barbato says:

“[I]t's almost shocking to think that every woman is going to go through this and yet it's so misunderstood  and not understood and feared … When I think about all of the stories that we've heard and even my own experience, we don't connect the dots and certainly a supervisor, male or female, may not connect the dots on how the symptoms are showing up at a workplace … brain fog, anxiety, all of these things are going to have an impact … think of my experience of going through really horrific, extreme symptoms while at work and just not being able to perform. I think I was probably way worse on myself than maybe I let on to my colleagues where I hid a lot of my symptoms and managed them as best as I could.”

According to Ko, we need to dispel the negativity and silences around menopause:

“Menopause is overwhelmingly viewed as negative in our society. And because of that, there's a lot of silence associated with it, stigma and shame … most women do not want to be associated with that negative image of the menopausal woman. And then there's this notion that there's nothing you can do about it, so why bother having the conversation? And we know that our healthcare providers received almost zero education on something that's going to happen to half of the population. So we're at this really exciting place in time where we're changing that conversation and it's a great opportunity for women to really focus on themselves and their health. There's preventative care, there's lifestyle changes, and there's safe and effective treatments that are available. Women should not suffer through this period of time. Menopause is natural, suffering is not.”

Read the Menopause Foundation of Canada’s latest report Menopause and Work in Canada

You can also find out about the Menopause Works Here Campaign and check out the Menopause Inclusive Playbook for Employers

About today’s guests:

Janet Ko is president and co-founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada, a national non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to breaking the silence and the stigma of menopause. Janet had looked forward to menopause as an exciting second act in life. Instead, she was blindsided by a host of symptoms that she did not understand  were part of the menopause transition. She realized that women – like her – were struggling to find answers and to get help. Together with co-founder Trish Barbato and a medical advisory board of the country’s top menopause specialists, she launched the Menopause Foundation of Canada. Ko has held numerous senior leadership positions in the pharmaceutical, global life sciences and senior living sectors. She has served on the management teams of leading Canadian companies as senior vice president, Communications and has led marketing and organizational development functions throughout her career. Ko is dedicated to helping women thrive through their menopausal years and is a passionate speaker and menopause advocate. She is honoured to be one of the top 25 Women of Influence Award recipients for 2023. 

Trish Barbato is the co-founder of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. She has been a vocal advocate for the rights of menopausal women for the last decade. The Menopause Foundation of Canada released its landmark report “The Silence and the Stigma: Menopause in Canada” in 2022 and recently released its groundbreaking report “Menopause and Work in Canada”. Barbato has spoken internationally and is working with leaders in the Middle East Northern Africa (MENA) region to support a community-based initiative for mature women. Barbato is currently president and CEO of Arthritis Society Canada and has held progressive leadership positions in healthcare for the last 20 years. Barbato is a chartered professional accountant, published author, award-winning innovator, and recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Award for her volunteer work.

Transcript of this episode can be accessed at georgebrown.ca/TommyDouglasInstitute.  

Images: Janet Ko, Trish Barbato / Used with permission.

Music: Ang Kahora. Lynne, Bjorn. Rights Purchased. 

Intro Voices: Ashley Booth (Podcast Announcer); Bob Luker (Tommy); Grace Taruc-Almeda, Karin Maier and Jim Cheung (Street Voices)  

Courage My Friends podcast organizing committee: Chandra Budhu, Ashley Booth, Resh Budhu. 

Produced by: Resh Budhu, Tommy Douglas Institute and Breanne Doyle, rabble.ca. 

Host: Resh Budhu.