With one billion women worldwide navigating menopause at any given time, the International Menopause Society (IMS) is urging employers to improve workplace awareness and support.
Ahead of World Menopause Day on 18 October 2025, the IMS — which founded the global awareness day in 2009 — has called for organisations to address stigma and provide structured, evidence-based support to employees experiencing menopause.
Its newly published white paper, The Role of Lifestyle Medicine in Menopausal Health: A Review of Non-Pharmacologic Interventions, highlights the role of sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, and social connection in easing symptoms and improving long-term health outcomes.
The research provides a practical framework for HR leaders, suggesting initiatives that go beyond awareness campaigns, such as training managers to hold open conversations about menopause, adapting office environments for flexibility, and embedding menopause into broader wellbeing strategies.
Professor Rossella Nappi, President of IMS (2024–2026), said: “Menopause is not a disease, but it can bring symptoms and health risks that need personalised care. This year’s White Paper shows convincing evidence that lifestyle medicine, healthy eating, regular activity, good sleep, emotional wellbeing, and supportive relationships, can make a real difference.”
IMS medical advisor Dr Chika Anekwe added that “lifestyle medicine is at the heart of menopause care,” empowering women “to take control of their health and improve their quality of life during this pivotal transition.”
Professor Nappi said employers and HR professionals play a pivotal role: “By creating flexible, inclusive, and stigma-free workplaces, they not only improve women’s health and wellbeing but also strengthen retention, performance, and leadership pathways. Menopause is a workforce issue as much as a health issue.”
The IMS’s 2025 White Paper and accompanying resources are available at imsociety.org.
Founded in 1978, the International Menopause Society brings together global experts to advance research, education, and equitable healthcare for women in midlife. The organisation’s vision is for all women to have access to evidence-based knowledge and care throughout their menopause transition and beyond.
