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Sophie of Wessex speaks out on menopause saying women are 'even more fabulous in our 50s'

Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images
Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images

The Countess of Wessex has hailed women aged 50 and more as “even more fabulous” than in their forties as she backed a campaign to highlight the impact of menopause on working women.

Sophie of Wessex, who is married to Prince Edward, joined a roundtable discussion to support the "Menopause Workplace Pledge" campaign with charity Wellbeing of Women, which she became royal patron of in May.

The campaign is asking employers to support those struggling with menopause as estimates from the healthcare company Bupa suggest 900,000 women in the UK have quit their jobs over an undefined period of time because of symptoms associated with menopause.

The royal mum-of-two said, “To think that women are having to leave the workplace because of this is tragic.

“We are fabulous in our 40s, we are even more fabulous in our 50s, 60s and 70s and we need to celebrate that and keep those opportunities going for women.

“Together, we can support the thousands of women out there who form the backbone of our workforce. We cannot let anybody leave that workforce unfulfilled and also feeling that they have got to slope off into the shadows. It’s not right and we’ve got to be able to change that.”

Companies including Bupa, PwC, HarperCollins UK, Santander UK and Tesco have signed the pledge, so far

Earlier this year, the Countess has candidly opened up about the menopause and her own experiences during a video engagement.

Sophie discussed feeling like “someone has just gone and taken your brain out” during royal engagements, and said that going through the menopause can feel “like a shackle”.

The royal urged for there to be more openness, conversation and education around the subject.

If you’re struggling with menopause symptoms, Dr Jen Gunter, also known as “Twitter's resident gynaecologist”, has released a book: The Menopause Manifesto to debunk myths around menopause and help educate and empower women through “hard facts, real science, fascinating historical perspective and expert advice”.

Her tone is funny, informative and reassuring, and she covers everything from perimenopause to depression, sleep disruption and sex and libido.

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