Intersectionality Between the Experiences and Perceptions of Middle-aged Female Government Employees on Pre-menopausal Symptoms and Societal-workplace Discrimination
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47679/jopp.8314502026Keywords:
pre-menopausal, middle-aged female, government employees, Physical fatigue, Workplace Discrimination Awareness, workplace empathyAbstract
The pre-menopausal stage involves natural hormonal and physical changes in middle-aged women, affecting both their physical and mental health. Despite its medical basis, misconceptions often fuel discrimination. This bias can appear in healthcare, workplaces, and society, varying by culture and region. Employing a qualitative research method with a narrative analysis design, this study aims to attain the following: (i) explore how middle-aged female government employees see the impact of pre-menopausal symptoms on their daily lives, well-being, and work performance; and (ii) explore how the narratives of middle-aged female government employees reveal the intersectionality of societal and workplace factors in shaping experiences of discrimination during the pre-menopausal stage. The study concludes that middle-aged female government employees face challenges that severely impact their daily functioning and career sustainability, underscoring the urgent need for comprehensive workplace policies, cultural change, legal protections, and supportive programs. In response, recommendations include establishing flexible work accommodations, launching education and training initiatives to reduce stigma, and piloting comprehensive wellness programs through an extension project tailored to this population to improve health outcomes and workplace inclusion.
References
Ahuja, M. (2025). The effects of menopause in the workplace: Challenges and solutions for HCP and HR professionals. Journal of South Asian Federation of Menopause Societies. https://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-10032-0127
Asper, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is qualitative in qualitative research. Springer. https://bit.ly/3Awl2xO
Bamberg, M. (2012). Narrative analysis. In H. Cooper (Ed.), APA handbook of research methods in psychology: Vol. 2. Research designs (pp. 77–94). American Psychological Association.
Beck, V., Brewis, J., & Davies, A. (2020). Women’s experiences of menopause at work and performance management. Organization, 28(3), 510–520. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350508419883381
Brewis, J., Beck, V., Davies, A., & Matheson, J. (2017, July). The effects of menopause transition on women’s economic participation in the UK. University of Leicester. https://menopauseintheworkplace.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/menopause_report.pdf
Brown, K. R., White, E. C., & Davis, M. A. (2020). Communication patterns and emotional intimacy as protective factors against infidelity during the pre-menopausal stage. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 46(6), 508-521.
Carter, S., Davis, S., & Black, K. I. (2021). Menopause workplace policy: The way forward or backward? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajo.13445
Caulfield, J. (2022). How to do thematic analysis: Step-by-step guide & examples. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/thematic-analysis/
Ciptaningtyas, R., & Lubis, S. R. H. (2026). Navigating menopause in the workplace: Strategies for sustaining productivity and well-being. In Supporting women's health and wellbeing in the workplace. IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-2970-3.ch009
Collins, H., Barry, S. H., & [Additional authors]. (2024). ‘Difficult to divulge’: The impact of organisational silence around the menopause. Work, Employment and Society, 38(5). https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170231212127
Crawford, B. J., Waldman, E. G., & Cahn, N. R. (2022). Working through menopause. Washington University Law Review, 99. https://ssrn.com/abstract=3916860
Cronin, C., Abbott, J., Asiamah, N., & Smyth, S. (2023). Menopause at work: An organisation-based case study. Nursing Open, 11(1), e2058. https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2058
D’Angelo, S., Bevilacqua, G., Hammond, J., Zaballa, E., Dennison, E. M., & Walker-Bone, K. (2023). Impact of menopausal symptoms on work: Findings from women in the health and employment after fifty (HEAF) study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(1), 295. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010295
Dillaway, H. E., Byrnes, M., & Miller, E. (2018). Stigma and women's health: A narrative review. Women’s Health Issues, 28(5), 396-402. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.whi.2018.03.004
Dudovskiy, J. (2021). Constructivism research philosophy - research methodology. Business Research Methodology. https://research-methodology.net/research-philosophy/epistomology/constructivism/
Elias, A. C. (2022, June 13). A woman’s curse: Menopause in the workplace. SSRN. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4347794
Faubion, S. S., Enders, F., Hedges, M. S., Chaudhry, R., Kling, J. M., Shufelt, C. L., Saadedine, M., Mara, K., Griffin, J. M., & Kapoor, E. (2023). Impact of menopause symptoms on women in the workplace. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 98(6), 833–845. https://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(23)00112-X/abstract
Freeman, E. W., Sherif, K., & Prentice, R. (2011). Risk factors for hot flushes in midlife women: Results from a prospective cohort study. Menopause, 18(5), 505-515. https://doi.org/10.1097/gme.0b013e318201f648
Garcia, R. S., & Reyes, L. M. (2018). Understanding the socio-cultural context of menopause in the Philippines: Implications for workplace discrimination. Journal of Southeast Asian Women's Studies, 22(2), 78-93.
Gibson-Moore, H., Hill, E. M., & Sharma, M. (2019). Understanding the lived experience of women transitioning through perimenopause: Implications for health care providers. Health Care for Women International. https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2018.1485872
Griffiths, A., MacLennan, S. J., & Hassard, J. (2013). Menopause and work: An electronic survey of employees’ attitudes in the UK. Maturitas, 76(2), 155–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.07.005
Guest, G., Bunce, A., & Johnson, L. (2020). How many interviews are enough? An experiment with data saturation and variability. Field Methods, 18(1), 59-82.
Guthrie, J. R., & Dennerstein, L. (2016). The menopause: A time for change. Maturitas, 46(3), 185-193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2003.08.008
Herman, D. (2000, September 18). Narratology as a cognitive science. Image and Narrative: Online Magazine of the Visual Narrative. https://www.imageandnarrative.be/inarchive/narratology/davidherman.htm
Harlow, S. D., & Paramsothy, P. (2021). Perimenopause: From research to practice. Journal of Women’s Health. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2018.7315
Hunter, M. (2015). The women's health initiative trials of hormone therapy: Lessons learned. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 37(3), 259-265. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1701-2163(15)30303-1
Jack, G., Riach, K., Bariola, E., Pitts, M., Schapper, J., & Sarrel, P. (2016). Menopause in the workplace: What employers should be doing. Maturitas, 85, 88–95. https://www.maturitas.org/article/S0378-5122(15)30090-6/abstract
Jones, A. B., & Johnston, L. (2020). Gender, age and job status: Exploring the experiences of middle-aged women in lower-ranking positions. Journal of Gender Studies, 29(5), 560-574.
Kang, H. K., Kaur, A., & Dhiman, A. (2021). Menopause-specific quality of life of rural women. Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 46(2), 273–276. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.IJCM_665_20
Kausto, J. (2025). Menopause in working life. Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, 51(6), 455–457. https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.4258
de Castro, A. B., Gee, G. C., & Takeuchi, D. T. (2008). Workplace discrimination and health among Filipinos in the United States. American Journal of Public Health, 98(3), 520–526. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2007.110163
Nagaraj, D., Ramesh, N., Devraj, D., Umman, M., John, A. K., & Johnson, A. R. (2021a). Experience and perceptions regarding menopause among rural women: A cross-sectional hospital-based study in South Karnataka. Journal of Mid-Life Health, 12(3), 199–205. https://doi.org/10.4103/jmh.JMH_196_20
Nagaraj, H. C., Pandya, D., & Vinoth, S. (2021b). Menopause and its symptoms: A cross-sectional study among middle-aged women. Journal of Women’s Health Care, 10(2), 120-127.
Noori, R. (2024, October 18). Menopause benefits at work: What are they and should you offer them? Benepass. https://getbenepass.com/blog/menopause-benefits-at-work
O’Neill, M. T., Jones, V., & Reid, A. (2023). Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: A cross-sectional study. Occupational Medicine, 73(6), 332–338. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqad078
Orgad, S. (2025). Women who quit: Media and policy discourse about gender and work. LSE Public Policy Review, 3(4), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.31389/lseppr.121
Patton, M. Q. (2015). Qualitative research & evaluation methods: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed.). Sage Publications.
Poth, C. N., & Creswell, J. W. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (C. N. Poth, Ed.). SAGE Publications.
Riessman, C. K. (2008). Narrative methods for the human sciences. SAGE Publications.
Santoro, N. (2016). Perimenopause: From research to practice. Journal of Women’s Health, 25(4), 332–339. https://doi.org/10.1089/jwh.2015.5556
Santoro, N., & Randolph Jr, J. F. (2011). Reproductive hormones and the menopause transition. Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics, 38(3), 455-466. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ogc.2011.05.004
Shifera, N., Yosef, T., Wondie, S. G., & Aydiko, A. (2025). Understanding menopause: Knowledge and influencing factors among postmenopausal women in Bench Sheko Zone, Southwest Ethiopia: Cross-sectional study design. Health Science Reports, 8(11), e71511. https://doi.org/10.1002/hsr2.71511
Yildirim, F., Duman, N. B., & Kulakaç, Ö. (2023). The effect of menopause on the sexual functions and marital adjustment of the spouses. Journal of Midlife Health, 14(3), 170–175. https://doi.org/10.4103/jmh.jmh_90_23
O’Neill, M. T., Jones, V., & Reid, A. (2023). Impact of menopausal symptoms on work and careers: A cross-sectional study. Occupational Medicine (London), 73(6), 332–338. https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqad078
Stuart, J. D. (2025). A change in climate: Inclusion and menopause experience at work [Industrial-Organizational Psychology Dissertation, Seattle Pacific University]. SPU Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/iop_etd/53
Terzic, S., Bapayeva, G., Kadroldinova, N., Sarría-Santamera, A., Gusmanov, A., Sanchez-Anguiano, A., Aimagambetova, G., Laganà, A. S., Ukybassova, T., Kongrtay, K., Abdukassimova, M., & Terzic, M. (2024). Association between menopause and occupational burnout in healthcare workers: A cross-sectional study. Critical Public Health, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2024.2382696
Trozo, S. M. P., & Lascuña, C. M. (2023). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding menopause among female employees aged 45 years old and above in a tertiary government hospital. Philippine Journal of Rehabilitation Medicine, 20(1). https://pjrei.org/uploads/pdf/articles/knowledge--attitudes--and-practices-on-menopause-among-female-employees-aged-45-years-old-and-above-in-a-tertiary-government-hospital.pdf
Twamley, K., Briedis, I., & Phillips, T. (2025, July). Menopause in the workplace: Literature review. Department for Work and Pensions. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68775581cfc3756455bb6a99/menopause-in-the-workplace-literature-review.pdf
Walker-Bone, K., & Davis, S. (2025). Menopause, women and the workplace. Climacteric, 28(4), 423–430. https://doi.org/10.1080/13697137.2025.2480591
Woods, N. F., & Mitchell, E. S. (2019). Symptoms during the perimenopause: Prevalence, severity, trajectory, and significance in women's lives. American Journal of Medicine, 118(Supplement 12B), 14-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.09.050
Yoeli, H., Macnaughton, J., & McLusky, S. (2021). Menopausal symptoms and work: A narrative review of women's experiences in casual, informal, or precarious jobs. Maturitas, 150, 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2021.05.007
Yoshitake, S., Nakamura, T., & Hirakawa, Y. (2026). Qualitative research on health issues and background factors of menopausal female workers: An examination from physical, psychological, and social perspectives. Journal of Rural Medicine, 21(2), 136–146. https://doi.org/10.2185/jrm.2025-042
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Citation Check
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Marietta. S. Santos
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright Policy
Journal of Psychological Perspective (JOPP) is committed to promoting academic freedom and open access. To that end, we apply a copyright policy that empowers authors while ensuring the broad dissemination and responsible reuse of published work.
- Authors retain the full copyright of their published manuscripts.
- By publishing in JOPP, authors grant the journal the right of first publication, with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- This license permits others to:
- Share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format),
- Adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially),
- As long as appropriate credit is given, a link to the license is provided, and derivative works are distributed under the same license.
- Authors may:
- Deposit and share the published version of their work in institutional repositories or personal websites.
- Enter into separate, non-exclusive distribution agreements, provided that original publication in JOPP is properly cited.
Licensing and Copyright for Data Publication
To promote transparency, reproducibility, and ethical integrity in research, Journal of Psychological Perspective adopts the following policies regarding the publication of research data:
- Copyright Ownership: Authors retain copyright over the datasets they submit or make available in connection with their articles.
- Default License: All data associated with a published manuscript must be shared under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-SA 4.0), unless otherwise agreed upon with the editor.
- Permitted Use: This license allows others to use, modify, and distribute the dataset (including for commercial purposes), provided that attribution is given to the original authors and that derivative works are shared under the same terms.
- Repository: Authors are strongly encouraged to deposit copies of their accepted manuscripts in institutional repositories or subject-specific archives. (e.g., OSF, Zenodo, Figshare) and include citations and links to the datasets in the article.
- Ethical and Legal Responsibility: Authors must ensure:
- The data shared do not breach confidentiality, privacy, or legal agreements.
- Informed consent has been obtained where necessary.
- Data have been properly anonymized where applicable.
- Alternate Licenses: In exceptional cases, alternative data licenses (e.g., CC0, Open Data Commons) may be considered upon editorial approval. A written justification must be submitted and published alongside the article.
- Corrections or Retractions: If issues related to published data arise (e.g., ethical breaches, significant errors), JOPP reserves the right to take corrective action in accordance with the COPE Retraction Guidelines. Please read our policy about retraction of articles
Submit Online
