Parliament’s menopause-friendly promise
CELEBRITIES will converge on Parliament tomorrow to see Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle commit to make the Commons “menopause friendly”.
Television presenters Davina Mccall, Mariella Frostrup, Penny Lancaster and Lisa Snowdon will put the spotlight on an issue campaigners say is driving women from the workforce.
Sir Lindsay says he wants to shatter taboos and ensure female staff get the support they need. Research earlier this year suggested that more than a million women experiencing menopause symptoms were looking to quit their jobs.
Former Big Brother presenter Ms Mccall, who described her own experiences in the Channel 4 documentary Sex, Myths and the Menopause, said: “This all feels like new territory. I’m so thrilled that meaningful change is afoot.”
Sir Lindsay hopes simple changes to the Commons will make life easier.these could include better ventilated rooms and fans, flexible working, “breathable” uniforms and access to advice from on-site nurses and the occupational health team.
He said: “I value my female colleagues and staff, and I do not want them avoiding promotion or leaving Parliament because of the symptoms they are experiencing.
“I want to break the taboo – just as we did with mental health issues.”
He added: “After all, we men are the husbands, partners, brothers, sons and colleagues of those facing the menopause, so it is particularly important that we are on board as allies to offer our support and understanding.”
He will encourage MPS to sign the pledge so staff they employ will be covered by the commitments too.
Swansea East MP Carolyn Harris said: “Menopause symptoms are vast and varied – impacting physical and mental health, affecting behaviour and leading to the breakdown of relationships, loss of careers and, in some of the most heart-breaking cases, to women taking their own lives.
“This cannot continue.”