Menopause law proposals demonstrate ‘incessant need to legislate for everything’
31 January 2023
SUGGESTED
Energy and Environment
In the Media
Prof. Len Shackleton writes for CapX
31 January 2023
Housing and Planning
Annabel Denham writes for CapX
IEA Director of Communications Annabel Denham has written in CapX arguing against proposals for legislation to make menopause a protected characteristic in equality law.
Annabel wrote:
“For decades, the NHS has misunderstood women. We are 50 per cent more likely to be misdiagnosed following a heart attack, yet made up just 25 per cent of participants across 31 landmark trials for congestive heart failure between 1987 and 2012. Endometriosis takes an average of eight years to diagnose. Maternity scandals across NHS Trusts are emerging with shameful regularity and it was reported in December that gynaecology waiting times in England had tripled in the past decade.
“This is the issue which needs resolving: how do we treat women better, including those going through menopause? Instead, the committee is zoning in on how but we ‘protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce’. Among the suggestions were a call for menopause to become a protected characteristic, and for ‘menopause leave’ to be trialled in the public sector.
“Surely we should welcome progress, provide better healthcare (which could include one of the other committee recommendations, that menopause be part of a GPs ongoing professional development), push back against this incessant need to legislate for everything, and remind ourselves that there’s more to being a woman than biological experiences.”
Annabel’s full article can be read here.
Annabel wrote:
“For decades, the NHS has misunderstood women. We are 50 per cent more likely to be misdiagnosed following a heart attack, yet made up just 25 per cent of participants across 31 landmark trials for congestive heart failure between 1987 and 2012. Endometriosis takes an average of eight years to diagnose. Maternity scandals across NHS Trusts are emerging with shameful regularity and it was reported in December that gynaecology waiting times in England had tripled in the past decade.
“This is the issue which needs resolving: how do we treat women better, including those going through menopause? Instead, the committee is zoning in on how but we ‘protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce’. Among the suggestions were a call for menopause to become a protected characteristic, and for ‘menopause leave’ to be trialled in the public sector.
“Surely we should welcome progress, provide better healthcare (which could include one of the other committee recommendations, that menopause be part of a GPs ongoing professional development), push back against this incessant need to legislate for everything, and remind ourselves that there’s more to being a woman than biological experiences.”
Annabel’s full article can be read here.
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