[UK] Proposal to make menopause an Equality Act ‘protected characteristic’ blocked

In the UK, proposals to change legislation to protect the rights of women experiencing menopause have, in part, been rejected by the government over fears such a move would discriminate against men, The Guardian reports.

In July 2022, the cross-party women and equalities committee published a report focusing on menopause and the workplace, which included a recommendation to make menopause a “protected characteristic” under the Equality Act.

Protected characteristics are a specific set of characteristics that it is illegal to discriminate against. They include, among others, include age, disability and race.

However, the UK government rejected the proposal in its official response to the report - published on January 24 - warning of “unintended consequences which may inadvertently create new forms of discrimination, for example, discrimination risks towards men suffering from long-term medical conditions”.

In its response, the government also reportedly rejected calls for a large-scale pilot of menopause leave in England, stating that it was not seen as “necessary” and could be “counterproductive”.

Committee chair - Conservative MP Caroline Nokes - questioned the government’s commitment to the issue of menopause.

In a letter to health minister Maria Caulfield, Ms Nokes reportedly said she was disappointed that “very little new work has been committed to by the government” in response to the committee’s report. She also expressed concern that the government had ignored what she called the “significant evidence base” for menopause being seen as a “protected characteristic”.

In addition, Ms Nokes noted in her letter that the reply to the report was three and a half months late. She said it was a “missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce, and leaves me unconvinced that menopause is a government priority”.

“The evidence to our inquiry was crystal clear that urgent action was needed across healthcare and work settings to properly address women’s needs, yet government progress has been glacial and its response complacent,” the committee chair said in a statement.

“Its refusal to even consult on reforming equalities law doesn’t make sense and we urge it to look again.”

A government spokesperson said, “We recognise that the menopause can be a challenging time for women, which is why we have put women’s health at the top of the agenda as part of the first-ever women’s health strategy for England.

“We are implementing an ambitious programme of work with the NHS to improve menopause care so all women can access the support they need.

“We encourage employers to be compassionate and flexible to the needs of their employees, and are committed to supporting more flexible working patterns – having consulted on making flexible working the default unless employers have good reasons not to.”

The report was released in the wake of a poll suggesting that healthcare for women in the UK is as bad as Kazakhstan and worse than that provided in China. Britain reportedly ranked lower than the US, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany in the 2021 Hologic Global Women’s Health Index.

The reasons cited by analysts for the UK’s poor outcome were inadequate access to preventative care, such as screening for cancer, diabetes and blood pressure, diagnosis of causes of pain and mental health support.

The UK reportedly scored 60 out of 100 in the index; three points lower than the previous year. The index is based on a Gallup survey of more than 127,000 people. The score leaves the UK on equal footing with Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Kosovo, Poland and Ireland.

Source: The Guardian

(Link and quotes via original reporting)

In the UK, proposals to change legislation to protect the rights of women experiencing menopause have, in part, been rejected by the government over fears such a move would discriminate against men, The Guardian reports.

In July 2022, the cross-party women and equalities committee published a report focusing on menopause and the workplace, which included a recommendation to make menopause a “protected characteristic” under the Equality Act.

Protected characteristics are a specific set of characteristics that it is illegal to discriminate against. They include, among others, include age, disability and race.

However, the UK government rejected the proposal in its official response to the report - published on January 24 - warning of “unintended consequences which may inadvertently create new forms of discrimination, for example, discrimination risks towards men suffering from long-term medical conditions”.

In its response, the government also reportedly rejected calls for a large-scale pilot of menopause leave in England, stating that it was not seen as “necessary” and could be “counterproductive”.

Committee chair - Conservative MP Caroline Nokes - questioned the government’s commitment to the issue of menopause.

In a letter to health minister Maria Caulfield, Ms Nokes reportedly said she was disappointed that “very little new work has been committed to by the government” in response to the committee’s report. She also expressed concern that the government had ignored what she called the “significant evidence base” for menopause being seen as a “protected characteristic”.

In addition, Ms Nokes noted in her letter that the reply to the report was three and a half months late. She said it was a “missed opportunity to protect vast numbers of talented and experienced women from leaving the workforce, and leaves me unconvinced that menopause is a government priority”.

“The evidence to our inquiry was crystal clear that urgent action was needed across healthcare and work settings to properly address women’s needs, yet government progress has been glacial and its response complacent,” the committee chair said in a statement.

“Its refusal to even consult on reforming equalities law doesn’t make sense and we urge it to look again.”

A government spokesperson said, “We recognise that the menopause can be a challenging time for women, which is why we have put women’s health at the top of the agenda as part of the first-ever women’s health strategy for England.

“We are implementing an ambitious programme of work with the NHS to improve menopause care so all women can access the support they need.

“We encourage employers to be compassionate and flexible to the needs of their employees, and are committed to supporting more flexible working patterns – having consulted on making flexible working the default unless employers have good reasons not to.”

The report was released in the wake of a poll suggesting that healthcare for women in the UK is as bad as Kazakhstan and worse than that provided in China. Britain reportedly ranked lower than the US, Australia, New Zealand, France and Germany in the 2021 Hologic Global Women’s Health Index.

The reasons cited by analysts for the UK’s poor outcome were inadequate access to preventative care, such as screening for cancer, diabetes and blood pressure, diagnosis of causes of pain and mental health support.

The UK reportedly scored 60 out of 100 in the index; three points lower than the previous year. The index is based on a Gallup survey of more than 127,000 people. The score leaves the UK on equal footing with Kazakhstan, Slovenia, Kosovo, Poland and Ireland.

Source: The Guardian

(Link and quotes via original reporting)