The meeting was important. Senior executives filled the room. Presentations were underway. Everything was proceeding normally.
Then it happened.
A sudden wave of heat. Intense. Unexpected. Unmistakable.
Within seconds, I felt as though someone had turned up the temperature by twenty degrees.
My face flushed. Perspiration appeared. And I desperately hoped nobody would notice.
Perimenopause and menopause do not pause for board meetings. They do not wait for convenient moments. They arrive when they arrive.
For many professional women, managing symptoms in the workplace can be challenging.
Not because they are incapable. But because the workplace rarely discusses these realities.
Women often suffer silently.
Adjusting schedules. Managing symptoms. Maintaining professionalism.
All while navigating significant hormonal changes.
The conversation needs to change.
Menopause is not a weakness. It is not a failure. It is a natural life transition.
And women should not have to choose between career success and honest conversations about their health.
The boardroom has room for both leadership and humanity.