Status of Women Committee on June 16th, 2026

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much, Dr. Demers.

Ms. Ménard, you have the floor.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Thank you very much, Madam Chair.

Dr. Demers and Dr. O'Hearn, thank you for being with us. As you can see, we're hanging on your every word. You have a very engaged audience.

Dr. O'Hearn, I'll start with you. I think we have to paint a somewhat bleak picture of women's career progressions in many different workplaces. When women are in their twenties and are leaving school, some employers are reluctant to give them certain positions, already thinking that the women who are interested will take time off soon to start a family. They think those women may be absent a bit more often than others in their thirties or forties. Family sometimes determines that. In their forties and fifties, progression is uncertain; menopause lies in wait.

I think that, even in 2026, our workplaces are undermined by gender bias. In your recommendations, you spoke a lot about raising awareness in the workplace.

Could you give us some examples of best practices, so that this doesn't remain a bit theoretical?

What could be effective?

When people talk about perimenopause and menopause, it gets trivialized or ridiculed. I'll spare you the dubious jokes that get shamelessly thrown at some women. There's something about that approach that I take issue with.

What could you recommend to us today?

[Shawna O'Hearn]

Thank you for the question. It's an important one.

You are correct. Gendered ageism is still alive in our workplaces and something that circles around the conversation of menopause.

I also want us to be really careful that this doesn't become an individual conversation. This is really about the workplace. It's really wonderful that this committee is looking at the impact on the workplace so that it isn't just left in the hands of an individual to navigate this.

On specific examples of work that has happened, I have mentioned the support groups and having a leader who brings together individuals who want to have those conversations. They may be allies. They also could be the members of our teams who are going through menopause. The topics may be all the topics we're talking about here today around understanding lifestyle strategies and understanding who your health care team is.

We've talked today a lot about physicians and nurse practitioners, but we also have physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dieticians, nutritionists and mental health practitioners. It's important so our teams, our staff, understand who they can be reaching out to and, as I mentioned earlier, what their benefits are, what's covered and what's not, so that we're not creating a two-tier system. If I can afford to pay for service A and somebody else can't, that's not fair either. I think those are important pieces within our workplace.

It is also really important for us to see who's missing from our conversations. I mentioned earlier that we often have the conversation around office-based professionals, but we're not looking at all of those individuals who might be in precarious work environments, who don't have benefits, who don't have supports or who are small business owners. How are we as a country supporting all of the workers out there? I'm giving you more abstracts and fewer specifics here, but it's just to say that, because the evidence focuses on those who are in very formal work structures, we forget about those on the outskirts of them.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

Thank you very much. That's enlightening.

Dr. Demers, I'm quoting what you said a few minutes ago: I'm fighting for safe hormone therapy. I just want to check something.

Does that imply that there's ineffective or unsafe hormone therapy right now in Canada? Can you clarify what you mean?

[Sylvie Demers]

We know that, for example, taking oral estrogens or non-bioidentical estrogens will increase the risk of blood clots. There are risks, and many people are exposed to them. When it comes to blood clots, that can include thrombophlebitis, pulmonary embolisms or strokes, among other things. That means it's important for it to be estradiol. It has to be bioidentical and delivered transdermally to avoid the risk of clots.

When we talk about progesterone and progestins, it's a whole thing. Progestins are responsible for the vast majority of demonstrated risks associated with hormone therapy. That makes it extremely important to use progesterone. Everything can be explained at the molecular level, if you like.

It's necessary to provide safe hormone therapy, and it's no coincidence that our own hormones are the safest. They're chemically identical.

[Marie-Gabrielle Ménard, Liberal, Hochelaga—Rosemont-Est, QC]

We have a few seconds left, if you'd like to tell us more.

I'm sorry, I'm told that's it. It's cruel.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much, Ms. O'Hearn, Dr. Demers. This was so interesting, truly. We could've spent the rest of the afternoon with you. It's very frustrating for me, because I have so many questions I'm not asking you.

Let's remain seated, ladies. We're awaiting our second panel of witnesses.

Thanks again to both witnesses.

I will be suspending the meeting for a few minutes.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

We're back for the second hour of the meeting.

Before we begin, I'd like to make a few comments for the benefit of members and witnesses.

Please wait until I recognize you by name before speaking.

For those participating by video conference, click on the microphone icon to activate your mike and please mute yourself when you're not speaking.

If you wish to speak, please raise your hand. For those on Zoom, please use the “raise hand” function.

For those on Zoom, at the bottom of your screen you can select the appropriate channel for interpretation: either floor, English or French. For those in the room, you can use the earpiece and select the desired channel.

I would like to remind witnesses that committee members may ask questions in either French or English. If you will need interpretation, please take a moment now to prepare your earpiece.

A reminder that all comments should be addressed through the chair, but since I don't want to disrupt the flow, I speak up very little, other than to end a conversation.

I will now welcome our witnesses.

From the DisAbled Women's Network of Canada, we have Evelyn Huntjens, director, indigenous initiatives.

From the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec, we have Dr. Anne-Patricia Prévost.

From the Réseau québécois d'action pour la santé des femmes, we have Élise Brunot, director.

I believe Ms. Brunot is experiencing technical difficulties. Let's begin with the other witnesses, and then we'll move on to Ms. Brunot.

Welcome. We will begin with opening statements.

Mrs. Huntjens, the floor is yours for five minutes, please.

[Evelyn Huntjens, Director, Indigenous Initiatives, DisAbled Women's Network of Canada]

Thank you, Madam Chair and members of the committee, for inviting DAWN Canada to contribute to this important study.

My name is Evelyn Huntjens, director of indigenous initiatives at DAWN Canada. I also serve, in a cross-employment position, with Indigenous Disability Canada. I am pleased to speak today through the lens of disability justice, indigenous inclusion, accessibility, gender equity and human rights.

Menopause and perimenopause are often viewed as private health matters; however, the evidence increasingly shows that they are labour force issues, workplace accessibility issues, health equity issues and human rights issues.

Across Canada, women, indigenous women, deaf women, racialized women, women with disabilities, two-spirit people and gender-diverse individuals tell us that menopause remains highly stigmatized, poorly understood and inadequately supported in workplaces, health care systems and public policy.

Symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disruption, anxiety, chronic pain, sensory sensitivities, cognitive changes, memory difficulties and challenges with concentration can significantly affect workforce participation and day-to-day functioning. While menopause is a natural life transition, its impacts can be functionally disabling. Many symptoms fluctuate over time and closely resemble the barriers associated with episodic and invisible disabilities, yet menopause is rarely recognized within disability accommodation frameworks or workplace accessibility policies. This represents a significant policy gap.

According to Statistics Canada, approximately 30% of women in Canada live with a disability. Many are already managing chronic illness, pain, fatigue, mobility limitations, sensory sensitivities, caregiving responsibilities and systemic barriers before menopause symptoms begin.

Emerging Canadian research is demonstrating that menopause can exacerbate existing disabilities and chronic health conditions. Research led by Spinal Cord Injury BC found that women aging with spinal cord injuries often experience menopause in ways that intensify existing health challenges, including pain, fatigue, cognitive impacts, cardiovascular risks, bone loss and bladder dysfunction. Importantly, participants reported that menopause symptoms were frequently misunderstood, dismissed or attributed solely to their disability. As a result, many struggle to access appropriate care, workplace accommodations and support.

Despite a growing population of Canadians aging with disabilities, menopause and disability remain significantly under-researched and under-prioritized within health policy, workplace planning and research funding.

The labour force implications are substantial. Research from the Menopause Foundation of Canada estimates that menopause costs the Canadian economy approximately $3.5 billion annually, and contributes to roughly 540,000 lost work days each year. One-third of working women report that menopause negatively affects their work performance. Nearly half report feeling too embarrassed to request support or accommodations. Two-thirds say they would not feel comfortable discussing menopause with their supervisor.

Importantly, menopause often occurs during what should be the peak earning, leadership and advancement years of a person's career. Many individuals experiencing menopause are simultaneously balancing significant workplace responsibilities and caregiving responsibilities at home. When workplaces fail to provide, Canada risks losing experienced workers, leaders, mentors and institutional knowledge.

These findings reveal a broader cultural silence surrounding menopause. As menopause expert Dr. Jen Gunter has argued, the normalization of suffering and long-standing gender bias in medicine have contributed to menopause being under-researched, under-recognized and inadequately addressed, despite its significant impact on quality of life and workforce participation.

Research also suggests that workplace culture itself can be a barrier. Many workplaces continue to operate—

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much. Five minutes really flies by.

Now let's welcome Élise Brunot, director of the Réseau québécois d'action pour la santé des femmes.

I believe the technical issue has been resolved. Ms. Brunot, you have the floor for five minutes.

[Élise Brunot, Director, Réseau québécois d'action pour la santé des femmes]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'm here today to talk about a topic still too often avoided here, as in most workplaces across Canada: perimenopause and menopause.

Let me be clear. Menopause is not a disease, nor is it a weakness. Millions of women and people of diverse genders experience menstruation, perimenopause and menopause—which are normal stages of their lives—and our collective tendency to ignore this at work speaks volumes about the values that still shape the workplace.

The first thing to note is that we're dealing with a systemic problem, not an individual one. For decades, research in management and occupational psychology has largely ignored the physical realities of women's lives. Sleep, fatigue and chronic stress are recognized as factors that influence work performance. Yet the bodies of women—who menstruate, who go through perimenopause and who experience menopause—have been absent from these analyses.

This reflects a workplace that has historically been built around a standard of constant availability—one that, in any case, corresponds more closely to the traditionally defined male experience. When “performance” is measured against this standard, women obviously fall short. It is not women's bodies that are the problem; it is this standard.

The Réseau québécois d'action pour la santé des femmes points out that these realities—menstruation, pregnancy, perimenopause and menopause—are systematically treated as individual obstacles, when in fact they are collective issues related to working conditions. As long as we do not change this perspective, we will continue to lose competent and experienced women.

The second point to make is that silence comes at a very high cost—first and foremost, in terms of dignity. The vast majority of the two million Canadian women workers aged 45 to 55 are going through perimenopause or menopause. Many go through this period in silence and shame. According to data from the Menopause Foundation of Canada, two out of three women do not dare to talk about it with their supervisor. Half feel embarrassed to ask for accommodations.

Why the silence? Our culture still associates menopause with ageism and devaluation. Women fear being perceived as fragile or less competent if they speak openly about their reality. The model of the “ideal worker”—always available, always high-performing, “bodiless”—still applies relentlessly to women who aspire to leadership positions.

This silence has real consequences: shame, presenteeism, gradual disengagement and premature departures. Above all, it represents a daily affront to the dignity of millions of women.

What we need is prevention, active listening and accommodations. The approach I advocate on behalf of the Réseau québécois d'action pour la santé des femmes, or RQASF, is the one the organization has championed for decades: a holistic, feminist and intersectional approach to health. In practical terms, this means three things.

First, we must not pathologize. Perimenopause and menopause are not diseases to be treated. They are normal biological processes, experienced in very different ways depending on the individuals involved, their life circumstances and their working conditions. We must first recognize them as such—normal and legitimate—before seeking to manage them.

Second, we need to listen to women. They know what they need, and they're not asking for much, really. They want to be able to talk about their experiences without being judged, have flexibility, and work in a physically accessible environment. What the surveys clearly show is that more than nine out of 10 women support these accommodations, and that employers who provide them build team loyalty and strengthen their organizational culture.

Third, we need to take structural action. It is not up to women to adapt in silence. Workplaces must adapt to the reality of half the population. Simple measures exist: prevention and awareness initiatives for all employees, flexible work policies, access to rest areas, training for managers in active listening and non-stigmatizing communication, free access to menstrual products—which are very helpful during perimenopause—health leave, and adequate group insurance coverage.

The key consideration must always be to ensure that the measures adopted do not create a new layer of the glass ceiling or new barriers to hiring.

As Canada's largest employer, the federal government has a unique responsibility and opportunity.

It can officially recognize perimenopause and menopause as occupational health realities, just as it does other health issues recognized in the Canada Labour Code.

It can train federal public service managers in an empathetic, non-stigmatizing approach to create safe environments where women can speak openly about their experiences without fear.

It can shift the responsibility for silence from the individual to the organization by making menstrual and hormonal inclusion an employer's responsibility, not a personal burden for each woman.

Finally, it can invest in prevention and research, particularly regarding working conditions that exacerbate or alleviate menopause-related symptoms.

In conclusion, I would say that changing workplace standards to include the bodily realities of women and gender-diverse individuals affected by their bodies' natural cycles is not asking for a privilege. It is demanding true equality.

I'm not talking about formal equality, which treats everyone the same. I'm talking about real equality, which recognizes that women have bodies and realities, and that these realities deserve to be taken into account, without shame, without taboos and without having to choose between health and career.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much, Ms. Brunot. It certainly seems as though everything is working very well on your end from a technical standpoint.

Dr. Anne‑Patricia Prévost, you have five minutes for your opening remarks.

[Anne-Patricia Prévost, Doctor, Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Good afternoon everyone. It's a pleasure to be here.

My name is Anne‑Patricia Prévost, and I'm a family physician. I serve on the board of directors of the Fédération des médecins omnipraticiens du Québec. I work in an academic setting affiliated with the Université de Sherbrooke. I am here today to offer you a perspective rooted in the clinical reality of the women we care for as family physicians.

As Ms. Brunot mentioned, perimenopause and menopause are not diseases. They are normal phases of a woman's life, just like other life transitions such as pregnancy and aging. Some women will experience symptoms severe enough to interfere with their daily functioning, including at work.

As family physicians, we must avoid two pitfalls: trivializing symptoms when they become debilitating or, conversely, systematically medicalizing a normal life transition. These, then, are our two challenges. In practice, experiences vary widely. Some women will go through this phase with few repercussions, while others will have symptoms that disrupt their sleep, cognition, mood and functional capacity. It's a very heterogeneous experience.

Women who see a doctor do so primarily because they have symptoms such as sleep disturbances, brain fog, mood swings, joint pain, night sweats and hot flashes. It is our duty to thoroughly assess the impact of these symptoms and investigate their possible causes, as there are many. Given these symptoms, there are differential diagnoses to consider.

It is also our duty, first and foremost, to promote healthy lifestyle habits among these women and to provide adequate and appropriate care. I'm thinking of a patient who thought she was experiencing burnout because she had significant sleep disturbances. Ultimately, it was related to her perimenopause. On the other hand, I had another patient who thought her symptoms of night sweats and brain fog were related to menopause when in fact she had sleep apnea. So, it's very important to take a holistic approach to properly differentiate between the various conditions associated with these symptoms.

We also observe that there's a great deal of variability in clinical knowledge. There is a lot of underdiagnosis, overdiagnosis, and a lack of understanding of symptoms. There is confusion in the media, there are myths, and there are common misconceptions. We must be wary of misinformation, the excessive commercialization of certain approaches and the proliferation of tests or treatments that have no proven benefit. Conversely, we must also ensure that women with significant symptoms do not lack access to effective treatments when indicated.

I'm now going to discuss the impact of this on work. Symptoms related to menopause or perimenopause can interfere with daily functioning. This is very real. However, these effects are often invisible, trivialized or unrecognized. Small or large adjustments can be made. Better access to care can also have a positive effect on job retention. As physicians, it is our role to support these women's functional abilities—including their participation in the workforce—when the transition becomes difficult.

I would, however, be cautious about messages that suggest women in perimenopause or menopause are less capable of working or less productive. Most continue their professional lives successfully. Rather, we must ensure that those experiencing significant symptoms do not find themselves lacking support, treatment or understanding.

To achieve this, I have a concrete plan to propose. It consists of three actions: better information, better support and better care.

First, we should improve awareness among the public, employers and managers to normalize the conversation without stigmatizing it.

Second, we should promote simple, flexible and inexpensive accommodations in the workplace.

Finally, we should improve training for professionals and ensure rapid access to relevant, high-quality, evidence-based care.

If you had to remember just one sentence today, it would be to normalize without trivializing and to support without overmedicalizing. There are women who are successfully navigating this transition. As for those experiencing significant symptoms, they should never be invisible, misunderstood or left without support.

Thank you very much for your attention.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

That concludes your opening remarks, Ms. Prévost.

Now let's begin our discussion.

Ms. Cody, you have the floor for six minutes.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Thank you.

Through you, Chair, I want to thank the witnesses for coming today and talking about a topic that impacts women in the workplace and even in their retirement, when loss of work could decrease their financial contributions, so it's really good that we're having this conversation.

I'd like to direct my first questions to Dr. Prévost.

Some women prefer using natural health products, which can be costly compared to pharmaceuticals. What do you say to women who prefer natural health products but are stuck in a system where health choice becomes a financial burden?

[Anne-Patricia Prévost]

I think that, before using a product, women who are experiencing symptoms without knowing the cause should see a doctor to get a medical diagnosis and rule out other possible causes.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Okay, but naturopaths or natural health practitioners often aren't covered under benefit plans. What are you hearing from women who prefer natural health practitioners and naturopaths about how that affects their ability to seek medical care? Where do you see an opportunity for change?

[Anne-Patricia Prévost]

My opinion remains unchanged. You need to see a doctor or primary care provider who has the necessary medical expertise to determine the source of the problem.

In my opinion, it's not ideal to turn to natural products right away without having a clear understanding of the risks, benefits and expected effects. People need to talk to a health care professional.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Women often need to request a specialist and wait months, if not years, to get treatment for common health issues.

Why do you believe that family doctors are not trained to fully recognize key signs of menopause?

[Anne-Patricia Prévost]

I believe that the medical specialists, family physicians and specialized nurse practitioners who attend our academic programs receive adequate training on menopause. We use the evidence available to us. There are courses that cover menopause. I myself teach a course on menopause in my teaching unit. I would say the training is adequate.

That said, not all physicians necessarily maintain their expertise in menopause afterward. Some physicians specialize in other fields, such as musculoskeletal health, mental health or women's health, for example.

The College of Family Physicians of Canada has established clear objectives related to medical exams.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Thank you.

I'd like to move on to Ms. Brunot.

Do you feel that we have enough trained physicians to treat and care for all the women in this country who are experiencing menopause? Does this create a backlog ultimately leading to misdiagnosis or delayed treatment?

[Élise Brunot]

I would tend to say that the training of health care professionals covers menstruation and menopause. There may have been biases in the past regarding how women's bodies were perceived. As I mentioned earlier, the default assumption is that something is wrong, whereas we need to shift the paradigm and prioritize support.

We're on the right track today, but it takes time to correct these preconceived notions and to listen with an open mindset, free from stigma, when seeking solutions and investigating the root causes of a problem.

All of these concepts should be incorporated into the training of health care professionals so that we can move beyond the current tendency to view these issues solely through a medical lens. As Dr. Prévost noted, we should also consider how best to raise women's awareness of healthy lifestyle practices and related measures.

So this is a field of practice that needs to be strengthened, whether in relation to menstruation or menopause. I would point this out because, after all, these are two natural phenomena that are very closely connected.

[Connie Cody, Conservative, Cambridge, ON]

Thank you.

Do you have any numbers or stats on women who are being misdiagnosed and treated for the wrong condition when going through menopause and what that cumulative cost could be? If not, why not?

[Élise Brunot]

No, we've never had funding to conduct surveys.

One thing is certain, though: We're constantly being approached by the general public, community groups and businesses to raise awareness about menopause and offer advice. We're appealing to common sense so that people will listen to us, discuss the topic and break down the taboos.

What we're hearing on the ground—and I want to emphasize this, because we're actually conducting research and bringing these voices from the field to the forefront—is that the vast majority of women feel they aren't being listened to. These findings are supported by surveys from the Canadian Menopause Foundation. It's difficult to speak openly about what we're going through without fearing that it will be downplayed or that it could have significant repercussions on our professional and even our personal lives.

We realize that this runs very deep. There's a sense of shame that's quite moving. There is truly a sense of vulnerability, and it's always very moving, because we understand that it's part of our lives as women. We should be able to talk about it openly.

[The Chair, Conservative, Dominique Vien]

Thank you very much, Ms. Brunot.

Ms. Nguyen, you have the floor for six minutes.