The government has appointed campaigner and broadcaster Mariella Frostrup as its new menopause employment ambassador.
In the voluntary role, Frostrup will work closely with employers to improve workplace support for employees experiencing menopause and help raise awareness of menopause symptoms.
A key focus will be to champion the economic contributions of women and to help those going through the menopause to stay in work.
This appointment comes alongside the Employment Rights Bill, which has its second reading in parliament today (21 October), which proposes that large employers produce menopause action plans on how they will support employees through the menopause.
Frostrup, who is also chair of the campaign group Menopause Mandate, said: “I’m honoured and delighted to be appointed as the government’s menopause employment ambassador and to start working towards this government’s stated goal of creating fair and equitable workplaces for all.
“The loss of one in ten women from the workplace, often at the height of their professional careers, is damaging our economy and causing unnecessary suffering due to lack of information and support during this perfectly natural and manageable phase of life.
“I’m excited to get started and continue the important work done by my predecessor Helen Tomlinson to engage with businesses small and large and find solutions to what continues to be a gender-specific inequity.”
Baroness Merron, minister for patient safety, women’s health and mental health, said: “I am delighted that Mariella Frostrup has been appointed into this important role. I look forward to working with her to champion women’s health and improve menopause support, alongside the women’s health ambassador for England, Professor Dame Lesley Regan.
“We know there is a long way to go in improving support for women experiencing menopause, particularly in the workplace, and this government is committed to providing the care and support for all women to thrive.”
