On the latest episode of Conversations with Agents of Change, my guest Siobhan Kearney talked about a topic that isn’t new however, the don’t talk about enough, specially where it matters the most: at work, in leadership rooms and in the polices that shape people’s everyday lives. This conversation was about a topic that affects directly half of the population directly and indirectly to the other half, therefore is critical for all of us to understand and Menopause.
Siobhan is a facilitator, consultant, and the founder of Menopause NI, an organisation dedicated to transforming how workplaces understand and support menopause. But titles only tell part of the story. It struck me how deeply personal her journey into change really was.
The Moment Everything Changed
Nine years ago, Siobhan was the CEO of a mental health charity. On the outside, she was functioning, leading, delivering. On the inside, she was unravelling — emotionally, mentally, professionally — without understanding why. She was in perimenopause. She just didn’t know it yet.
Like so many women, she masked the symptoms, showed up every day, and pushed through — until one day she couldn’t. She left her job abruptly, only to realise months later that the changes she was experiencing weren’t personal failure or professional burnout. They were biological, systemic, and completely unsupported.
That realisation sparked a powerful question:
If this could happen to me, how many other women are silently struggling in workplaces right now? The answer, as it turns out, is thousands.
Menopause Is Not a “Nice-to-Have” Conversation
One of the most important shifts Siobhan has driven is reframing menopause — not as a private health issue, but as a strategic business issue.
Here’s the reality she laid out:
In a typical organisation, around half the workforce may be women. A significant percentage will be between 45 and 55 — the most common menopausal age range. And research shows that one in ten women leave their jobs due to menopausal symptoms.
The real question is:
Are they leaving because of menopause — or because workplaces don’t understand it?
From an economic, legal, and operational perspective, the cost of ignoring menopause is far greater than the cost of addressing it. Loss of talent. Loss of corporate memory. Increased tribunal risk. Reduced productivity.
Yet for years, the topic has been met with silence, discomfort, or quiet avoidance.
What a Menopause-Aware Workplace Really Looks Like
Siobhan painted a clear picture of what good practice looks like — and it’s not complicated or expensive.
It’s a workplace where:
- Women can say “I didn’t sleep last night because of menopausal symptoms” without fear
- Managers are trained to have confident, human conversations
- Policies mention menopause explicitly — alongside flexible working and absence management
- Men and women alike understand what menopause is, and why it matters
Most importantly, it’s a culture where menopause is spoken about as normally as a cold or a broken arm.
That kind of culture doesn’t come from policies alone. It comes from leadership.
Busting the Myth of the “Done” Woman
One moment in the conversation that stayed with me was when Siobhan challenged a persistent — and dangerous — misconception: that older women have less to give.
In some workplaces, that belief still lingers quietly in the background: she’s done, past her prime, exit stage left.
Siobhan’s response was powerful and unapologetic:
Women in their 50s aren’t finished — they’re just getting started.
With age comes confidence, clarity, and agency. Many women emerge post-menopause with fewer societal shackles, less fear of judgment, and a stronger sense of purpose. That’s not a liability. That’s leadership potential.
Change Ripples Further Than We Think
One of my favourite stories from the episode involved a young man in a high-vis jacket, sitting quietly in a workplace workshop. He barely looked engaged — until he raised his hand to ask about the side effects of HRT. That question wasn’t abstract.
It was personal. It was about someone he loved.
That’s when it really landed for me: conversations about menopause don’t stay in boardrooms. They go home. They shape relationships. They open doors to empathy where there was once confusion.
This is how cultural change actually happens — not through grand gestures, but through understanding.
One Action We Can All Take
When I asked Siobhan what she’d want every listener to do after this episode, her answer was simple:
Use the word menopause at home, at work. Without shame or fear.
Conversation leads to understanding. Understanding leads to change. And change, when it’s sustained, becomes culture.
Menopause is not a trend. It’s not a women-only issue and more importantly it’s not going away.
It’s a leadership issue. A workforce issue. A human issue.
And like all meaningful change, it starts with someone brave enough to say: this matters. Siobhan is one of those people. And I’m proud to share her story.
If this conversation resonated with you, share it.
That’s how movements grow — one voice, one story, one conversation at a time.
Listen to the full episode here.
Get in contact with Siobhan to learn how your organisation could benefit from having this conversation with your team or putting policies in place.
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