*The English version of the report has been published. (June 26, 2025)

Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI) Women’s Health Project has published a summary of key discussion points based on the roundtable discussion “Understanding Menopausal Women’s Health as a Social Issue” held on November 19, 2024.

While recent health policies in Japan have brought greater focus on menstrual management and support for pregnancy and childbirth, social recognition, understanding, and effective measures to address menopausal health remain insufficient. The first survey on menopausal symptoms and disorders conducted by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in 2022 revealed that 80-90% of the public has no knowledge of menopause and has never visited a medical institution for menopausal treatment. This indicates the unmet health needs of menopausal women in the workplace and how they can be better supported.

This roundtable gathered corporate executives and managers who are aware of issues in promoting women’s health and are already implementing or considering measures, as well as academic and medical experts. The round table discussion was opened by a video message from Ms. Helen Tomlinson, former UK Menopause Employment Champion and Head of Talent at the Adecco Group (UK and Ireland), spoke about the necessity of menopausal support in the workplace, the importance of supporting women in management positions who often interrupt their careers due to menopausal symptoms, and delivered messages for promoting future menopause measures in Japan and globally.

In the following discussion, participants deliberated on specific measures and policies to promote menopause and women’s health measures in the workplace based on the five perspectives HGPI identified through its activities in 2023 as necessary for promoting menopause measures in the workplace: “1. Research,” “2. Education and Awareness,” “3. Environment,” “4. Occupational Health,” and “5. Community and Society.” Diverse perspectives were presented from each participant’s experience implementing menopause measures in their organizations, their learnings, and perceived challenges.

Please see the PDF at the end for details of the key discussion points.

[Event Overview]

• Date & Time: Tuesday, November 19, 2024, 14:00-17:00 JST
• Venue: Comore Yotsuya Tower Conference STUDIO&LOUNGE
• Organizer: Health and Global Policy Institute (HGPI)
• Language: Japanese

[Program] (In no particular order; titles omitted. Please note that positions listed are current as of the day of the meeting.)