Can a ‘Menofesto’ help destigmatize marketers with menopause?
Professional women’s network Bloom UK has partnered with the recruitment agency Major Players to launch a new resource for menopause support in the marketing and comms industry – the Bloom Menofesto.
1 in 4 people will have such severe menopause symptoms they will be prompted to leave the workforce
At any one time there are thought to be an estimated 18 million peri- and menopausal working women in the UK. Around 80% of these women will experience any number of 48 physical and psychological symptoms to a greater or lesser extent, and it will sadly take a hefty toll on one in four, seriously affecting their career, confidence, ambition and progression.
The ‘Menofesto’ launch comes off the back of new research findings by Bloom’s ‘understanding menopause’ survey, which shows that only 45% of people felt they had had the stages of menopause or perimenopause properly explained to them, only 18% who experienced symptoms felt they understood what was happening, and only 13% weren’t sure if they were personally experiencing symptoms – highlighting a worrying lack of understanding of something that 51% of the population will experience.
Crucially, no one surveyed felt they’d received a great deal of support while going through menopause at work, and only 4% felt they got a fair amount. In fact, one in four people will have such severe symptoms they will be prompted to leave the workforce, and one in 10 will feel suicidal during menopause.
Despite the serious impact it causes, menopause remains a taboo topic, with only 29% of people feeling comfortable with talking to their colleagues about it, falling to 24% if it’s their boss. Encouragingly, however, 67% of people agree that they are comfortable with others talking about it, suggesting there’s an appetite to start a conversation about it in our workplaces.
The Bloom Menofesto aims to demystify and destigmatize menopause by creating a more open dialogue around the subject at work, and offers a tangible guide to implementing a compassionate, workable policy that supports everyone impacted by menopause within their organization.
While it is not the first organization to outline the steps forward for organizations in adland to improve their policy for people going through menopause (last year Dark Horses released its open-source policy on the topic), Bloom UK says it aims to make positive, lasting change by supporting and developing initiatives to ensure all women within the industry can achieve their potential.
“One of Bloom’s core values is spearheading industry change, and we’re launching The Bloom Menofesto to do exactly that,” says Samantha Frankel, chief strategy officer at Bloom UK.
“Two years ago – along with with a handful of Bloom women, each with their own discriminatory menopause or age-related story – I set up our inclusion group Bloom Mpower as a space to empower midlife and beyond, and the idea for this Menofesto was born. We’ve come a long way since then, and while the long-overdue conversation around menopause is gathering pace, now it’s time for action.
“So, whether you’re a business leader looking to retain your talent and create a supportive working environment, a woman looking to share new ideas with your colleagues on how best they can support you, or are simply interested to learn more, the Bloom Menofesto has been created for you.”