World Menopause Day 2025

Every year on 18 October, the world observes World Menopause Day, a global awareness initiative led by the International Menopause Society (IMS) to highlight the health impacts, stigma, and support needs of those experiencing menopause.

In 2025, the chosen theme “Lifestyle Medicine” places the spotlight on the decisive role of everyday habits in supporting health and well-being during and after the menopausal transition. It’s a timely reminder that menopause is not just a medical milestone, but a stage of life that requires informed understanding, open dialogue, and supportive workplace cultures.

For organisations operating in highly regulated sectors such as healthcare, finance, education, and government, menopause awareness carries practical implications that go far beyond employee well-being, touching on equality, inclusion, duty of care, and compliance obligations.

In this blog, Anna Nova Galeon will explore the purpose of World Menopause Day 2025, its official theme “Lifestyle Medicine”, and why menopause awareness matters for regulated organisations. She’ll discuss its health and workplace implications, highlight practical strategies for building menopause-inclusive cultures, and show how ComplyPlus™ can help organisations embed awareness, equality, and well-being within compliance frameworks.

What is menopause, and why awareness matters

Understanding menopause begins with recognising it as more than a natural biological transition; it’s a stage that influences health, identity, and daily life in profound ways. For many, it also intersects with career progression, workplace well-being, and equality at work.

To appreciate why awareness is so vital, we first need to explore what menopause actually is, how it affects those experiencing it, and why this awareness matters for individuals, organisations, and society alike.

Defining the menopausal transition

Medically, menopause is defined as the point at which a person has gone 12 consecutive months without menstruation, marking the end of reproductive capacity. It is often preceded by perimenopause (the transitional phase leading up to menopause) and followed by postmenopause (the years after).

During this time, the body undergoes hormonal changes, primarily declining oestrogen and progesterone levels, which can cause a range of physical, cognitive, and emotional symptoms. These may include:

• Hot flushes and night sweats

• Fatigue and sleep disturbance

• Anxiety, low mood, or brain fog

• Joint pain and changes in bone density

• Cardiovascular and metabolic shifts.

No two experiences are identical. For some, symptoms are mild; for others, they can be life-disrupting and affect work, relationships, and self-confidence.

Why a global awareness day matters

Despite affecting half the world’s population, menopause has historically been under-discussed, often treated as a taboo subject. World Menopause Day seeks to change that by:

• Promoting evidence-based understanding of menopause and its management;

• Empowering people to seek help and make informed lifestyle or treatment choices;

• Encouraging open, supportive conversations in workplaces and communities; and

• Driving system-level change in healthcare, policy, and employment practices.

By addressing stigma, this awareness day highlights the importance of fostering inclusive organisational cultures that allow people to openly discuss health concerns and seek support without fear of judgment or discrimination.

The 2025 Theme - “Lifestyle Medicine” for menopausal health

The International Menopause Society selected ‘’Lifestyle Medicine’’ as this year’s theme to emphasise that everyday choices, around food, movement, sleep, stress, and relationships, profoundly influence how women experience menopause and long-term health outcomes.

The six pillars of lifestyle medicine

Lifestyle medicine focuses on evidence-based, non-pharmacological interventions to prevent, manage, and even reverse chronic health conditions. In menopause, these six pillars can make a measurable difference:

1. Healthy nutrition - A diet rich in vegetables, whole grains, legumes, lean protein, and omega-3s supports heart, bone, and metabolic health while reducing inflammation
2. Physical activity - Regular exercise, especially resistance and weight-bearing training, helps maintain bone density, muscle mass, and mood stability
3. Restorative sleep - Structured sleep routines, mindfulness, and reducing stimulants help counter insomnia and fatigue
4. Stress management - Mind–body practices such as yoga, breathing, or CBT can ease mood changes and hot flushes
5. Avoiding risky substances - Limiting alcohol, caffeine, smoking, and processed foods supports hormone balance and symptom control
6. Social connection and purpose - Positive relationships and peer support reduce isolation and improve psychological well-being.

Recent research published in Climacteric (2025) confirms that multi-pillar lifestyle interventions can significantly reduce vasomotor symptoms, improve sleep, and protect against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease - benefits that extend well beyond menopause itself.

Why menopause awareness matters for regulated organisations

Menopause is a workplace and compliance issue, not just a well-being one. For organisations governed by strict regulatory and ethical frameworks, acknowledging and addressing menopause aligns with key legal and operational priorities.

1. Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)

Menopause disproportionately affects women, trans, and nonbinary staff in midlife. Failing to provide support can amount to indirect discrimination under equality law. Inclusive policies and manager training mitigate this risk and demonstrate a genuine commitment to gender equity.

2. Duty of care and health & safety

Employers have a legal duty to ensure staff health and safety. Symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, or brain fog can impact concentration and performance, particularly in safety-critical roles. Supportive adjustments aren’t just compassionate, they’re risk-management measures.

3. Workforce retention and talent preservation

Many professionals experiencing menopause are in senior or specialist roles. Losing them to unmanaged symptoms or stigma is a costly talent drain. Practical workplace support helps retain experience, mentorship, and leadership capacity.

4. ESG and reputation

Social governance expectations now encompass employee well-being, diversity, and health equity. Demonstrating proactive menopause support enhances corporate reputation, audit readiness, and compliance with evolving ESG standards.

Practical steps - Building menopause-inclusive workplaces

Building a menopause-inclusive workplace starts with practical action. The five steps below outline how organisations can turn awareness into everyday support and lasting change:

1. Develop or review menopause policy

Establish a clear, accessible policy outlining:

• What menopause is and who it affects;

• Reasonable adjustments available (flexible hours, rest breaks, uniform changes, temperature control, etc.);

• Confidentiality and respect protocols; and

• Responsibilities of line managers, HR, and staff.

Align it with existing frameworks on health, equality, and well-being.

2. Train managers and raise awareness

Equip leaders and HR teams to have informed, sensitive conversations. Mandatory training should cover:

• Common symptoms and their workplace impact;

• How to make reasonable adjustments;

• Equality and health legislation; and

• Red-flag issues (e.g., safety implications or persistent absence).

3. Enable flexible and supportive practices

Reasonable accommodations may include:

• Hybrid or remote options;

• Adjusted uniform policies;

• Access to fans, hydration, or quiet spaces;

• Adjusted deadlines or task prioritisation during symptom flare-ups.

4. Promote lifestyle medicine across the workforce

Leverage World Menopause Day to champion health literacy and preventive wellness. Consider wellbeing initiatives that align with the IMS theme, such as workshops on nutrition, physical activity, stress reduction, or sleep health.

5. Embed feedback and review

Encourage anonymous input through surveys or EDI forums. Regularly review outcomes, update policies, and include menopause support metrics in compliance or ESG reporting cycles.

Bringing it all together - From awareness to accountability

For highly regulated organisations, menopause awareness is not merely a moral imperative; it’s an operational necessity. It intersects directly with legal duties, equality standards, and workforce sustainability.

Embedding menopause awareness through structured policy, training, and lifestyle promotion helps organisations:

• Fulfil equality and safety obligations;

• Protect organisational reputation and regulatory standing;

• Support productivity, morale, and staff retention; and

• Demonstrate values-driven, person-centred governance.

By normalising menopause conversations and applying the principles of lifestyle medicine, leaders can transform compliance into culture, where well-being and regulation reinforce one another rather than compete.

Empower change with ComplyPlus™

World Menopause Day 2025 reminds us that awareness must lead to action. Supporting your workforce through menopause is both a compliance priority and a cultural opportunity to build trust, inclusion, and sustainable resilience.

At The Mandatory Training Group, our ComplyPlus™ system helps organisations embed menopause awareness into their compliance frameworks with structured, audit-ready e-learning modules. From equality and diversity training to health and wellbeing courses, ComplyPlus™ provides the digital tools to track learning, evidence compliance, and strengthen organisational culture.

Together, let’s build workplaces that are not just compliant but compassionate.