It's Time We Talked About It

Welcome to the fourth conversation in our Women in Business chapter – part of our ‘Join the Conversation’ series: five events that bring you important conversations led by Women in Business and heard by everyone. In partnership with Forsyth Barr, this bar-setting series is bringing hard-hitting topics into the conversational spotlight.

This conversation will address a subject that’s been taboo for far too long: menopause. Led by a dynamic duo of local leaders, the conversation will highlight what menopause is, how it can impact women differently, what good support looks like and how to normalise talking about it at work.

Why be part of this conversation?

Menopause is one of the most misunderstood stages of life that women experience, with less than 50% of New Zealand women saying they’ve discussed it with a colleague. Those statistics get worse, since 75%* of those women reporting that their symptoms negatively affect their work. There is a lot we can do to turn these stats around but knowing where to start can be tricky.

This facilitated conversation is hailed as a relatable and brilliant event that eliminates awkwardness. It is designed for people of any age, gender, culture and sector and is an opportunity to make talking about menopause easy.

Who’s this dynamic duo?

Sarah Connor is a guest speaker and advocate renowned for her approachable style that makes potentially uneasy conversations about peri/ menopause easy! Sarah also started Menopause Over Martinis, which has grown into a grassroots movement to help friends, family and workmates start talking and learning about this powerful stage of life over dinner. At our event, she’ll share some useful facts/figures, practical tips and resources, as well as the evidence-based solutions to support people through peri/menopause at work.

Sarah Hogan is Deputy Chief Executive (Wellington) & Principal Economist at the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, and has done research on menopause in New Zealand workplaces from both the employee and employer perspective. She will bring insights on the experiences that are common for women, as well as the potential concerns and economic implications of raising awareness and support (or not) at work.

What’s in-store:

• 12:00 - 12:30pm – Networking and standing lunch
• 12:30 - 1:15pm – Sarah Connor and Sarah Hogan speak
• 1:15 - 1:30pm – Q&A

This is a rare opportunity to break a taboo that shouldn’t exist, so don’t miss your chance to get a seat to one of the most important events of the year. This event is for everyone so we encourage people of all ages and genders including men to come along and learn how they can support the women around them.

This event is part of the Women in Business chapter from our “Join the Conversation” series - 5 events that spotlight important topics through conversation, led by the amazing women driving change within them.

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Attend other events in the series:

14 August: You Can Say That - Experience the live incarnation of the popular Three Gals One Beehive podcast, where you'll hear unfiltered humour and insight on the world of politics!

4 September: Slipping through the cracks - What the sobering gender and ethnic pay gap statistics actually mean for women, and how we can all work to change it.

25 September: Act like a Leader - There’s more to leadership than being a CEO. Hear a leading CEO tell you how - and why women can get better chances at leading through small changes

30 October: Making Money - Hear leading investment strategist, Zoe Wallis discuss her approach to wealth generation, and how women are changing the game in Aotearoa New Zealand’s finance industry.