Menopause inquiry urges leave, education provisions

Women experiencing menopause and perimenopause should be able to request reproductive leave, a government committee report recommends.

The Senate on Wednesday handed down its report into the economic, physical, mental and financial impacts of menopause and perimenopause after a nine-month inquiry.

Among the 25 consensus recommendations include urging the federal government to consider introducing paid gender-inclusive reproductive leave and changes to the Fair Work Act to ensure women can access flexible working arrangements during menopause.

The committee made up of Labor, Liberal and Greens senators called on the government to look at ways to make menopause hormonal therapies more affordable and easily accessible through addressing shortages.

To improve the understanding around the issue, they recommended a national awareness campaign, encouraging workplaces to develop menopause and perimenopause policies with employees and better education for health practitioners.

Menopause occurs between the ages of 45 to 60, and perimenopause - which precedes it - can last for up to 10 years and begin in women aged in their 30s.

Those with the condition can face mild to severe symptoms such as tiredness, aches and pains, menstrual changes, a racing heart, difficulty sleeping, increased irritability and depression.

Greens inquiry co-sponsor Larissa Waters said it was time to bring the issue out of the shadows.

"There should not be a stigma around something that more than half of the population go through," Senator Waters told the parliament.

Labor Senator Marielle Smith, a passionate proponent of women's health, described menopause and perimenopause as an area that had been under-appreciated for a very long time, saying medical students receive as little as one hour of training on the condition.

"It's clear that the deeper you did the more you find that their experiences of pain are too often dismissed and ignored," she said.

"Menopause isn't an optional part of aging. It will affect every woman lucky enough to reach mid-age, at some point in her life."

Liberal Senator Maria Kovavcic said the series of very important recommendations will assist all women, our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends across Australia experiencing the condition.

"For some who are currently wondering what on earth is happening to their bodies, maybe they'll be able to look to this and go, 'that's what's happening to me', when others before them haven't been able to," she said.

Women are retiring up to seven years early due to menopause, resulting in losses of more than $575,000 in salary and super, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Debate on mandating menstrual leave began in 2022, with unions calling for 10 annual days of reproductive health leave for both men and women during the inquiry which could involve vasectomies or attending an pregnancy appointment.

"It's important we make sure this leave is available for everyone, including men who might need it, because flexibility might not be enough when (menopause) symptoms are really debilitating," Senator Waters said.

But coalition senators Kovacic, Wendy Askew and Hollie Hughes argued such leave should rest with the private sector, contending they are in a better position to determine what measures are necessary to retain and motivate employees.

Advocates hoped the inquiry can kickstart crucial conversations and quell the stigma associated with the condition to help women suffering in silence.