There can't be many occasions when the words Davina McCall and the Law Society are used in the same sentence, but that is exactly what happened on one of our firm wide calls. We were talking about the menopause and the experiences of women in law. Many of you may have seen the Davina McCall programme that was on Channel 4, “Sex, Myths and the Menopause” which was shown a few weeks ago.
It was a frank, honest discussion about why our understanding of the impacts of the menopause for women (and men) needs to improve. What you might have missed, and I think was no less significant was a very informative guide produced by the Law Society at the end of last year on the impact of the menopause on women in law. Equally powerful and full of personal, honest accounts, it made a clear statement that it is the responsibility of all of us (men and women) to make sure that the culture in our firms and workplaces offers a supportive and adaptive environment that accommodates women's experiences. In my view, this doesn't come out of thin air, but only from a commitment and dedication to providing a culture that is truly supportive in the work environment.
As we all move back to the office/a hybrid way of working and we think about the lessons learned from the past 14 months in terms of looking after each other, it is really important to consider how, as organisations, we create an environment that supports women during the menopause and allows them to feel comfortable and completely themselves. Hopefully, both the Davina McCall programme and, indeed, the excellent Law Society article can help in this process. If you haven't checked out either of them, then I think it is really important to do so.
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