A new national campaign is calling on governments to boost support for Canadian women experiencing menopause, laying out what it says is a blueprint to help Canada become a world leader for care.
The Menopause Foundation of Canada, with backing from other groups, including the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, is releasing a menopause policy agenda on Thursday. It calls for more training of health providers, more funding for research and expanded access to treatment.
“Menopause isn’t just a women’s health issue. It’s a matter of public policy, workforce sustainability and economic resilience,” Janet Ko, the foundation’s president and co-founder, said in an interview.
Unmanaged symptoms of menopause cost the Canadian economy $3.5-billion a year, the foundation has estimated. Women older than 40 make up a quarter of the country’s paid workforce, and most will reach menopause between the ages of 45 and 55. Many will experience symptoms that range from difficulty sleeping to night sweats, brain fog, migraines, heart palpitations and anxiety.
Those symptoms may cause some to reduce their hours, turn down promotions, or step into lesser roles, denting incomes in their peak earning years, the foundation said.
As The Globe and Mail has previously reported, Canada doesn’t have a national strategy on menopause. It hasn’t had a national health campaign (Australia currently has one underway). And funding for dedicated research is still scarce.
In a paper to be released Thursday, the non-profit organization sets out seven priorities for provincial, territorial and federal governments. These include mandating menopause education for all physicians and nurse practitioners, adjusting fee structures so that physicians are adequately compensated for care, and ensuring menopause medications are accessible and affordable.
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“Despite more conversation about menopause, systemic barriers are keeping women from getting the care they deserve,” Ms. Ko said.
“This is an urgent call to action for government to transform menopause care, support and research in Canada,” she said. The policy priorities provide a blueprint for decision-makers, and “an opportunity for Canada to lead the world in equitable menopause care and support.”
The foundation’s surveys have found that one in two women feel unprepared for menopause and perimenopause, a transition period where the body prepares to stop having periods. Two in five feel their symptoms were undertreated by their health care provider.
This is the first-ever proposed national policy agenda on menopause in Canada, and was two years in the making, the foundation says.
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Access to menopause care is not equal, the report says, citing research, and many women are having difficulty finding help. The gaps are widest for Black, Indigenous, and racialized women, as well as for newcomers, those living in rural and remote communities, gender-diverse people, and those with lower incomes. A lack of access is forcing some to pay out of pocket – or go without care.
“Access to safe, evidence-based menopause care should never depend on a person’s ability to pay,” Ms. Ko said, adding that public menopause clinics and publicly funded virtual care can help fill the gap.
Other recommendations include policies that support women in the workplace, and more training for doctors. Currently, there is no standardized menopause curriculum for healthcare providers in Canada.
Nnamdi Ndubuka, president of Black Physicians of Canada, is among those supporting the initiative. “Better menopause education for healthcare providers is essential to ensuring that every patient receives the care they deserve,” he said in a release.
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The foundation also named Sophie Grégoire Trudeau, an author, advocate and public speaker, as its first ambassador.
Perimenopause can last for eight years or longer and brings varying experiences. For some, symptoms are mild, while for others, they can be debilitating.
“Too many women are suffering through this transition without ever being told that menopause is at the root of their experience,” Ms. Grégoire Trudeau said in the report. “They are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or left to figure it out alone. Failing half our population comes at a cost we all share.”
Research on the health of half of the population is scant. One 2025 study found that just 7 per cent of all funded grants went to female-specific research over a 15-year period; of that small pool, little went to menopause research.
This research gap has consequences, the report said, as health care providers and policy-makers lack the data to support women through midlife transitions that have a lasting impact on heart, bone and brain health.