Menopause in the Brazilian Workplace: A Research Agenda for Scholars of Management and Organization Studies

Abstract

Menopause is the time in a woman's life when she stops menstruating for good. In clinical terms, this reproductive life stage happens 12 months after the date of her last period, so it actually lasts just 24 hours. In everyday conversation, however, we use menopause to refer to perimenopause (the stage when menopausal symptoms begin, which can be several years before menopause), menopause itself, and post-menopause (when symptoms often continue). There are 34 commonly identified symptoms of menopause, some of which are physical (e.g., heavy and/ or erratic periods, hot flushes and night sweats, fatigue, insomnia, and vaginal dryness), and some psychological (e.g., anxiety and depression, memory problems, loss of confidence and difficulties with concentration and focus). Menopause is also unique to the woman who experiences it, although estimates suggest that 75% will have some combination of symptoms, and 25% will find these symptoms debilitating. This is the case in both Latin America and the Global North. Indeed, Blümel et al. (2012) found that nearly 13% of their younger respondents (under 45) had perimenopausal symptoms which 'severely compromised quality of life', peaking amongst those who were four years post-menopause, with 31.6% reporting the same problem (p. 549).Although the gradual decline with aging of hormones, like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone, is the basis of natural menopause, some women have sudden onset menopause due to surgery, such as a full hysterectomy, which also removes the ovaries, or medication such as Tamoxifen for breast cancer. Equally -at least if we consult data from the Global Northsymptoms usually start to occur in a woman's mid-to-late 40s, and menopause is reached at 51. Even so, about 1% of women go through early menopause (before the age of 45), or premature menopause (before the age of 40).English language research into menopause in the Brazilian and wider Latin American context, however, suggests some compelling differences as well as some similarities between

A bloody mess? UK regulation of menopause discrimination and the need for reform

“…116 In the European Union (EU), intersectionality is not explicitly enshrined in statute, 117 though the courts have tended to take a purposive approach, 118 with conflicting opinions about whether this is sufficient for intersectional claims (Sandra Fredman arguing that it is, 119 and Shreya Atrey disagreeing 120 ). In the UK, there have been growing calls for Section 14 of the EqA to be brought into force, including from academics Jo Brewis 121 and Vanessa Beck, 122 the 50 Plus Choices Employer Taskforce, 123 the TUC, 124 and the WEC. 125 The government has explicitly rejected the WEC's recommendation that Section 14 should be implemented, which the WEC had anticipated:…”