Want more women in your organizations? It’s time to start talking about the three M’s: menstruation, menopause, and motherhood.
Meleah Ashford
Writer and Life Coach, Find Solid Ground Coaching
“Today, discussing women’s health remains a taboo because people feel uncomfortable when anyone broaches it,” says Dr. Carolina Amador, the associate director of corporate intelligence at BioMarin, in a recent AWIS Magazine article. “I believe that we should talk about and advocate for women’s health as the first step in creating an equitable workplace.”
The vast majority of women in the workplace have dealt with challenges related to monthly menstruation during their careers. In a 2023 survey, respondents cited their top symptoms as abdominal cramps, irritability, and fatigue. 15% of respondents had a more chronic menstrual condition such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or fibroids. Sixty-one percent had worked when they didn’t feel well enough to work. According to Let’s Talk Menopause, 20% of the workforce is in some phase of menopause transition, which comes with its own extensive list of uncomfortable and potentially debilitating symptoms.
Motherhood includes yet another set of considerations. Between 10% and 20% of all known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Sadly, not all companies have policies for infant loss. If they do, they offer a scant 3-5 days off when recovery can take weeks. After successful births or adoptions, mothers are four times more likely than men to have their competence questioned, they are offered fewer opportunities than men, and they earn less than men over their careers.
Implementing effective, inclusive policies
Organizations have a huge opportunity to craft policies that support the three M’s. What does this look like?
- Normalize conversations around these topics
- Allow flexible work hours or remote work for those with menstrual pain, menopausal symptoms, mental health needs, and caregiving responsibilities for children, elders, or dependents with disabilities
- Provide lactation rooms and on-site childcare or stipends to offset caregiving expenses
- Create clear and transparent leave policies for childbirth, adoption, loss of a child, illness of a child, and how to return smoothly to work
- Explicitly extend sick or personal leave for menstruation and menopause challenges
- Initiate employee resource groups focused on the three M’s
Supporting women’s health is not just good for women; other employees would benefit from flexible hours. It is also good for your business. It will help you attract and retain more women. Research from McKinsey & Company shows that companies with more women in leadership have healthier cultures, generate more innovation, and experience better performance.
“We see companies within all facets of the STEM enterprise competing to attract and retain impactful women,” says Meredith Gibson, CEO of the Association of Women in Science, whose Career Center connects recruiters with women in STEM. “Organizations have an opportunity to differentiate themselves by creating policies and offering benefits that support women’s health.”
We need to retain more women in STEM to effectively tackle the world’s complex challenges. I encourage businesses to boldly and proactively address women’s health as an avenue to creating a more inclusive, attractive, and productive enterprise — or run the risk of losing out.
