Capitalism Has Plans for Menopause

How did you celebrate World Menopause Day, on October 18? I spent it wading through emails and posts from what I can describe only as “menopause influencers.” The British broadcaster Mariella Frostrup wanted to talk about urinary incontinence. On LinkedIn, senior female executives posted about hot flashes and fuzzy brains, and an executive coach who identifies herself as the “Founder & CEO at Life Begins at Menopause™” announced that she was “proud to be waving the flag.” In March, the British government appointed a “menopause employment champion,” and last year, a book called Menopausing became a best seller. Over at The New York, the advice columnist Philip Galanes recently from a woman whose male colleagues refused to believe that her verbal slips were the result of hormonal shifts.