Why working mums, menopausal women are stuck in ‘career quicksand’

Working women are quitting or getting passed over for promotions – not once but twice in their careers. This is why.

Working mums are “stuck in quicksand’’ as their careers suffer once they have kids or reach menopause, Australia’s chief scientist has warned.

Dr Cathy Foley said women workers feel “judged for their parenting decisions.’’

“It is troubling to hear women saying that going part-time at work damaged their careers,” Dr Foley told the Institute of Public Administration on Wednesday.

“On the other side of the coin, I have heard from women who felt judged for going back to work too soon.’’

Dr Cathy Foley warns “women feel judged for their parenting decisions”. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Gary Ramage

Dr Foley said bosses must ensure women’s careers “don’t get stuck in quicksand once children come along” – and to be more aware of how menopause affects middle-aged workers.

She said Australia needs more women trained in science and technology – yet fewer than one in 10 female school leavers study the subjects at university, compared to one in three men.

Dr Foley, a physicist, said too many woman qualified in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) are dropping out of the workforce once they have children or reach middle age.

The nation’s top science adviser said border bans on immigration will fore Australia to rely on the “valuable pool” of older and experienced workers with STEM skills.

She called on employers to be mindful of the impact of menopause, which can cause many middle-aged women debilitating symptoms including mood swings, feverish “hot flushes’’, insomnia and osteoporosis.

“We need to keep women in work through their 50s and 60s,’’ she said.

“The population is ageing and we can no longer afford to have people retiring at 55 or 60 – Australians need to work longer.

“Unless we find ways to better support women during menopause, we risk losing the skills and leadership of women in their 40s and 50s.’’

We need to keep women in work through their 50s and 60s, Australia’s chief scientist says.

Dr Foley said menopause “is not discussed enough’’.

“It’s not as though it’s a small group – half the population goes through menopause,’’ she said.

“Women often avoid speaking to managers about their symptoms because managers are men or they’re younger … women are leaving work because of it.”

Dr Foley said a UK inquiry had found that a million women in the UK have left their jobs due to menopause symptoms – and some were suing for discrimination.

“That is just the point in their careers when they should be in senior positions – the trailblazers and role models for younger people,’’ she said.

“A growing number of women in the UK are launching employment discrimination cases as a result of menopause.’’

Dr Foley said the Covid-19 pandemic had cut off a stream of skilled migrants.

“It takes time to get a pipeline of skilled workers in new industries through the education system, trained up and ready,’’ she said.

“The older workforce provides one of the solutions and we should be using it.’’

Dr Foley said working at home for the past 18 months had been “enormously difficult’’ for families as well as single people during the pandemic.

“I’m concerned about the impact of people living alone and the lasting effects on young people,’’ she said.

Originally published as Why working mums, menopausal women are stuck in ‘career quicksand’