Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 15 June 2021
It is a true privilege to follow such a powerful first speech from Siobhian Brown. She speaks powerfully of her community, which will do well in her hands, although there is a slight political disappointment on this side of the chamber.
I will use the short time that I have to talk about the menopause, following the powerful contributions made by Claire Baker and Emma Roddick. I, too, invite the cabinet secretary to expand on the welcome inclusion of the word “menopause” in the motion. In 2018, on world menopause day, I led a back-bench debate on the subject at Westminster. Although that debate was supported across the house, it is sad that so little has changed since then.
I embarked on my new career in my 50s. I cannot imagine embarking on a new career while struggling with some of the symptoms that my female counterparts experience and suffer without help or support. It is unthinkable that a society would ask men at the height of their careers to tolerate such symptoms and simply carry on—and ask them to do that quietly, too. Why should women do that?
All too often, the menopause is seen as something that women need simply to cope with. They are afraid to discuss the symptoms openly with friends, family and—sometimes most important—work colleagues because they are afraid of being undermined and perhaps marginalised. Seventy per cent of women do not discuss their symptoms at work, a third do not visit their general practitioner and 50 per cent report that the menopause affects their mental health and their ability to work.
I echo Ros Foyer of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, who has called for a sea change in workplace attitudes as mid-life women struggle to get simple adjustments made to their working conditions. Women workers are being failed by employers making no provision for the impact of the menopause. The STUC women’s committee’s report back in January 2018 identified that 99 per cent of respondents said that either their workplace did not have a menopause policy or they did not know whether it did, that 32 per cent said that the menopause was treated negatively in the workplace, and, perhaps most frightening, that 63 per cent said that the menopause had been treated as a joke.
The STUC has called for greater development of menopause workplace policies to better support staff who are experiencing the menopause, as well as to educate the wider workforce, in order to help to remove the associated stigma. At Westminster a few days ago, my colleague Carolyn Harris MP referred to experiences reported after a call for evidence that are worth repeating: simple changes in the workplace such as flexible working hours, relaxed uniform policies and adaptations to the working environment can make all the difference. I commend the Law Society of Scotland for its work with Peppy Health to develop menopause advice for employers.
We, on the Labour side of the chamber, have called for the introduction of a right to choose flexible working for all workers. Flexible working could help women who are experiencing the symptoms of menopause to manage potential tiredness. They could work from home when necessary or even take time off to attend appointments. I welcome the SNP’s manifesto commitment to launch
“a public health campaign to remove stigma and raise awareness of menopause symptoms.”
I look forward to confirmation that that will appear in the plan. I also welcome the minister’s confirmation that women’s health will be looked at holistically and that the involvement of women’s voices on the issue is important.
Scottish Labour believes that we need to improve access to specialist care in Scotland so that women have access to good advice about the menopause and no longer face long waits for diagnosis. There is good practice to model that on, as NHS Dumfries and Galloway, NHS Lothian, NHS Fife and NHS Grampian have specialist menopause clinics.
I stand here, in this debate, as a man, and it has to be said that it is time for men to show their solidarity and break a taboo by talking about the menopause. I ask every man in this place, every man who is watching and every man in—no, I just ask men: can you be brave enough to say, “Could you tell me? Can you explain? Will you share?” and do so with sympathy and empathy?
My challenge to the Government is this: little has changed since 2018, but can the Government start that change regarding the menopause in the next 100 days?
17:23