12-06-2025
Menopause. Manopause. Why We're Finally Talking About Both.
For decades, menopause has been a whispered word spoken behind closed doors, misunderstood, and often dismissed as 'just a women's issue.' But now, with more women in leadership, media, and medicine driving the conversation, menopause is stepping into the spotlight and it's about time.
Meanwhile, a new term is quietly surfacing in parallel: manopause. While some write it off as satire or exaggeration, others are leaning in, asking serious questions about the hormonal and emotional changes men experience as they age, and whether it's time we bring that out of the shadows too.
Let's unpack both.
Menopause. Manopause. Why We're Finally Talking About Both.
Menopause isn't a single moment. It's a transition that spans years from perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, and marked by declining estrogen, hormonal chaos, and a host of physical and emotional changes. Hot flashes, mood swings, brain fog, fatigue, sleep disruption, and anxiety aren't just inconvenient. They're debilitating, and they impact everything from work performance to personal relationships.
Yet for too long, menopause has been brushed aside. Women have been told to 'power through,' often suffering in silence in boardrooms, on Zoom calls, or mid-presentation. Why? Because the workplace was never designed with this life stage in mind.
That's beginning to change. Forward-thinking companies are now offering menopause benefits. Health tech platforms are customizing care. Celebrities and executives are speaking out, including Elle Macpherson, a global supermodel and now a wellness icon. Through her company WelleCo, she's reshaping the conversation around menopause, spotlighting midlife as a time of strength, not shame, and offering plant-based, science-backed solutions that empower women to thrive. For Elle, wellness isn't cosmetic, it's holistic. And she's proving that midlife isn't something to something to own.
Menopause is no longer taboo. It's a business issue. It's a cultural issue. It's a human issue.
Here's where it gets interesting. While men don't have a single, defining hormonal event like menopause, they do experience a gradual decline in testosterone, starting around age 30. Some men report fatigue, depression, loss of libido, irritability and even hot flashes. Sound familiar?
While science hasn't fully validated andropause, or as we're now calling it, manopause, as a medical equivalent to menopause, the conversation is gaining traction. Maybe it's less about comparing biology and more about normalizing the reality: hormonal shifts impact everyone.
Call it midlife reckoning, male menopause, or just aging with awareness, the point is emotions, energy levels, and self-identity shift. And just like women, men deserve the space to acknowledge those changes without shame.
We've long prioritized early-career perks, maternity leave, and retirement planning. But what about the decades in between?
Menopause and manopause hit at the height of most people's careers. These life stages are rich with leadership wisdom, perspective, and power, yet too often, they're treated like liability instead of opportunity.
What if, instead of hiding these transitions, we honored them?
The companies that lead on this won't just retain talent, they'll create loyal, energized, and human-centered cultures.
Here's the truth: menopause isn't the end of something; it's the beginning of owning your body and your voice in a whole new way. And manopause? Maybe it's not a crisis, maybe it's a moment to reassess what strength really looks like.
Shelley Zalis is the CEO of The Female Quotient and a three-time movement maker redefining the workplace for the modern era. She believes in the power of collaboration, conversation, and closing the gaps that hold us back.
