Global Menopause Caucus launches Commonwealth push for political action as network expands across more than 30 countries

Parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth have called for stronger political action on menopause following the first in-person parliamentary meeting of the Global Menopause Caucus at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town.

The meeting, Breaking the Silence: Mobilising Commonwealth Action on Menopause, brought together parliamentarians and health experts to examine how political leadership can improve access to menopause information, care and support and strengthen the policies that shape women’s experiences in health systems, workplaces and communities. The session formed part of the official programme of the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.

The Global Menopause Caucus was created as a platform of the Global Health Caucus to bring parliamentarians together across political and geographic divides and turn growing awareness of menopause into practical political action. In only a matter of months, parliamentarians from more than 30 countries have engaged with the initiative.  

The Cape Town meeting focused on building that parliamentary movement and creating stronger pathways for menopause to remain on the Commonwealth agenda, including through the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network. The Caucus is also encouraging parliamentarians to build cross-party groups within their own legislatures, engage national health and women’s rights stakeholders and identify practical policy changes that can be advanced in their countries.

Hon Carolyn Harris MP, Chairwoman of the Global Menopause Caucus and Member of the UK Parliament, said:

“The UK experience shows what becomes possible when women speak openly and parliamentarians listen. We have brought menopause into public debate, workplaces and policymaking. Now we must take that momentum beyond our borders and build a truly global movement for change.”

The discussion brought together Hon Nontembeko Boyce, Speaker of the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Legislature, Hon Dr Christopher Kalila MP, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Executive Committee and Hon Catherine Fife MPP, Chairperson of the Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians network. Professor Lineo Matsela, President of the South African Menopause Society, brought the clinical perspective from South Africa.

Professor Matsela called for governments to incorporate menopause more clearly into health policy and strengthen referral systems so women know where to seek appropriate care. She stressed that the absence of information and clear routes to care continues to leave many women without the support they need.

Her intervention reinforced one of the central messages of the meeting. Menopause cannot be treated only as an individual or private concern. It has implications for healthcare, employment, economic participation and the wider wellbeing of families and communities.

Hon Catherine Fife MPP, Chairperson of Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians, said:

“For many women parliamentarians, menopause is not a distant policy issue. It is part of our own lives and the lives of the women we represent. That makes this work deeply personal. By breaking the silence together, we can make menopause a Commonwealth priority.”

The meeting also drew on the experience of other international parliamentary networks and the role they can play in maintaining political attention on overlooked health issues, sharing policy approaches between countries and translating international commitments into national action.

Hon Dr Christopher Kalila MP, Chairperson of the CPA Executive Committee, said:

“Across the Global Health Caucus, we have seen that the caucus model works. It unites parliamentarians, raises the political salience of neglected issues and turns commitment into coordinated action. We can now bring that same political force to menopause.”

The scale of the challenge is growing. An estimated 1.2 billion women are projected to be menopausal or postmenopausal by 2030, with around 47 million women entering menopause each year. Research on the global women’s health gap has also estimated that improving the diagnosis and treatment of menopause symptoms could contribute around US$120 billion annually to global GDP.

The Caucus will now focus on converting growing parliamentary interest into country-level action. Members will be encouraged to build cross-party support, engage health professionals, civil society, employers and women in their constituencies and identify policy barriers that parliamentarians can help address.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women in New York in March 2027 has been identified as the next major international moment for the network to build its collective voice and increase global political attention on menopause.

The Cape Town meeting marked the beginning of that next phase.

Silence is a choice. We choose action.