How many working women are affected?

More women are working than ever before -- around 70 per cent of women aged 45 to 59 are now in work. Most women go through the menopause at between 48 and 55 years of age. Strictly speaking, the menopause is the medical term given to the time when your periods stop completely. This is typically around the age of 51, though it can happen much earlier.

The proportion of women at work is expected to rise even further. Occupational health and safety promotion policies at work will therefore be increasingly important for many thousands of women.