The committee studied the impact of menopause on women in the workplace and the economy, hearing from six witnesses: Pnina Alon-Shenker, Roberta Heale, Amy Flood, Colleen Norris, Julie Drapeau, and Aimee Debow.
Pnina Alon-Shenker, an associate professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, argued that Canada’s employment and human rights laws inadequately protect menopausal workers due to a reactive, individualized system. She recommended a comprehensive national strategy including mandated workplace policies, menopause training, paid leave, a stronger right to request flexible work, and explicit recognition of menopause under human rights legislation at the intersection of age, sex, and disability, noting that the U.K. and Australia have conducted similar parliamentary studies.
Roberta Heale, a full professor at Laurentian University and nurse practitioner, presented preliminary survey data showing 47% of participants missed work due to symptoms and 31% considered leaving their jobs. She recommended prioritizing menopause hormone therapy in the national pharmacare plan, establishing regional centres of excellence, developing a national clinical guideline, and advocating for workplace environment standards, while noting that barriers to care include lack of knowledgeable providers and high out-of-pocket costs.
Amy Flood, executive director of the Women’s Health Collective Canada, highlighted that only 7% of health research funding is dedicated to women’s health and that menopause symptoms cost the Canadian economy $3.5 billion annually. She called for normalized workplace conversations, manager training, flexible work arrangements, enhanced benefits, and support for research, emphasizing that perimenopause symptoms are appearing earlier in women and that Canada lacks specific data compared to the U.K.
Colleen Norris, a professor and Cavarzan chair in women’s health research at the University of Alberta, described the reproductive transition as a decade-long whole-body biological event affecting cardiovascular, bone, metabolic, and cognitive health. She recommended investing in publicly funded, nurse practitioner-led virtual clinics like the Cycles to Cessation Clinic in Alberta, which has seen over 600 women since a soft launch, and argued that closing the women’s health gap could create a $37-billion opportunity for Canada.
Julie Drapeau, senior vice-president at Purity Life Health Products, spoke from both a business and lived experience perspective, noting that her company has implemented education programs and private care access for employees. She stressed that education is key, as women often lack awareness of their symptoms, and that supporting women through menopause helps retain experienced talent and reduces reliance on government support.
Aimee Debow, founder of Menovate, recommended four actions: establishing minimum workplace standards for menopause awareness and education, requiring formal menopause policies in every organization, ensuring meaningful access to care as part of primary care, and funding dedicated Canadian research and national public awareness campaigns. She noted that 10% of women leave their jobs due to symptoms and that bringing men into the conversation is essential to breaking stigma.
During questions, witnesses agreed on the need for federal awareness campaigns and research funding, with Alon-Shenker supporting legislation to mandate workplace policies and Norris noting that the Canadian Institutes of Health Research does not prioritize menopause research. Heale and Flood highlighted that many women are misdiagnosed and prescribed inappropriate medications due to lack of research. The meeting concluded without procedural debate or motions.
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