The billion dollar impact of menopause on the Canadian economy

The mismanaged symptoms of menopause are having an impact on the Canadian economy, according to an organization that advocates for research and treatment into the condition.

The Menopause Foundation of Canada released a report this week saying the mismanaged symptoms are costing approximately $3.3 billion a year.

Janet Ko, president of the foundation, says this number pertains to the cost of missed workdays women have when going through menopause.

“An important part of the story is that $3.3 billion figure of women, in the prime of their working lives, in their prime earning years, having to forfeit money because they have to go part time, or step back or even leave the workforce, because they're struggling to manage the symptoms,” Ko said in an interview with CTV's Katherine Dow. “So we really need to close the knowledge gap.”

Most women enter menopause between the ages of 45 and 55, though some can actually experience perimenopause two to 10 years before that.

Ko says they want workplaces to help close the knowledge gap on menopause and help support their workers. They’ve created a Menopause Works Here campaign to help address symptoms and share ways employers can support workers going through menopause.

You can watch the full interview with Janet Ko here. 

-with files from CTV’s Katherine Dow.