‘An essential contribution to understanding menopause discrimination, highlighting why intersectional perspectives matter for real, lasting change.’ Deborah Garlick, Founder and CEO of Henpicked

What happens when the menopause becomes a source of inequality?
This groundbreaking book exposes the rising tide of menopause-related discrimination across workplaces, healthcare settings and the justice system, clearly establishing the urgency of the issue. Through an intersectional lens, the contributors reveal how age, sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, chronic illness, neurodivergence and disability shape experiences of neglect and exclusion of menopausal people, from inconsistent GP care and prison-based health inequalities to family law disadvantages.
Offering practical pathways forward as well as an agenda for future research, this is a vital call to address widespread social injustice.

Joe Brewis is a Professor of Human Resource Management and Organizational Studies at the Open University Business School.

Sue Westwood is a Professor of Law at the York Law School of the University of York.

1. Introduction

Part One: Menopause in the Workplace
2. Implementation of Human Resources Policies and Guidance on the Menopausal Transition by Supervisors and Managers
3. The Impact of Health and Well-Being Action Plans on Women in the Workplace During Menopause
4. From Pregnancy to Menopause: Evolving Workplace Protections in the United States

Part Two: Menopause Beyond the Workplace
5. The Complexities of Menopause Within the UK National Health Service
6. Menopause: The Aging Experience of Incarcerated Individuals
7. Menopausal Inequalities in Family Law

Part Three: Menopause and Diversity
8. Intersectional Issues in Women’s Menopausal Inequalities in the United States
9. The Menopausal Experience of Women with Intellectual Disabilities
10. Triple Marginalization and Neglect: Addressing Autism, Gender, and Aging in Neurodivergent Menopause
11. Experiencing Menopause: Focusing on the Experiences of Women with Systemic Autoimmune Diseases and Fibromyalgia
12. LGBTQ+ Menopause
13. Concluding Reflections: Menopause, Discrimination, and Intersectionality