If menopause has made you question your memory, your mood or your confidence, the problem is not you, it is that no one explained what was happening inside your brain.
For many women, perimenopause does not arrive quietly. It announces itself through forgotten words, emotional surges, disrupted sleep and a creeping fear “Why does my brain not feel like mine anymore?”
In most workplaces, changes in confidence or performance are attributed to shifting roles, organisational pressure or workload. We are reminded that the most significant disruptors are usually the ones no one is examining.
Menopause is not a personal weakness. It is a biological transition with workplace consequences. The problem is not the symptoms. It is the silence around them.
Before women begin questioning their capability, one essential reflection is missing “Is my confidence changing because of competence or because of chemistry?”
Did you know that millions of women are living with perimenopause without realising it?
Research shows that more than half of women cannot identify the early signs of hormonal transition and this lack of awareness has far-reaching effects, from workplace performance to relationships and mental health.
In professional settings, symptoms such as insomnia, brain fog and mood swings can quietly erode confidence and focus, often mistaken for burnout or stress.
At home, fatigue and hormonal shifts can strain emotional connection and intimacy, while the mental health impact, including anxiety, depression and low motivation, often goes unseen or dismissed.
Black feminist scholar Bell Hooks reminds us, “Honesty and openness is always the foundation of insightful dialogue.” Menopause policy must embody that truth.
Policymakers can no longer rely on one-size-fits-all workplace protections. Psychological research on stereotype threat, pioneered by Dr. Claude Steele, shows that when women of colour sense bias or dismissal, stress hormones rise and cognitive performance drops.
Add the midlife surge of hormonal fluctuation and the effect is compounded. Higher anxiety, disrupted sleep and impaired decision-making.
A truly responsive legislative agenda would integrate this science into practice. That means funding intersectional mental-health programs, requiring culturally competent clinical training and creating corporate guidelines that address the psychological as well as physical demands of menopause.
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
Proud Sista!
