Having your cake but not eating it

: the impact of menopause on the careers of women secondary school leaders in England.

Abstract

Menopause is a significant physiological transition which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, impacting a substantial proportion of women workers. In the UK, 72.1% of women between 16 and 64 work (Clark, 2024) with women playing a far greater role in the working economy than ever before. Although women are well represented in the teaching profession, their presence in leadership roles, especially in secondary school or academy leadership, remains disproportionately low. This research explores the intersection of menopause and leadership among women leaders in secondary schools in England.
This study adopts an interpretivist approach grounded in critical feminist principles to explore the menopause experiences of five women leaders in secondary schools/academies in England. Using a diary-interview method this research examines the discourses which define women secondary leaders’ experiences of menopause and considers how these discourses position and shape their identities. It considers whether the participants felt compelled to renegotiate their identities during this life transition and if they were able to do so. Semi-fictional vignettes are used to narrate the women leaders’ menopause experiences and to explore the themes derived from the data.
The research reveals that despite unique experiences, participants share common concerns about how menopause will define them. Societal discourses often position menopausal women as ‘old’ and less effective than their younger colleagues and the taboo nature of menopause makes it a difficult topic to discuss at work. These discourses are, at times, silencing women. The women in the study questioned whether they could continue in their leadership roles; some have already made changes and others will cut their leadership careers short. They emphasise that menopause is a key factor in these decisions. Despite these challenges, women can forge their own menopause identities, seeking ad hoc support usually from other women and forming supportive networks. They survive this transition.
It is recommended that schools recognise their duty of care to the women in their workforce. Measures should be implemented to support midlife women, allowing them to continue contributing to the education of young people. Women leaders are particularly vulnerable, as they often reach menopause when their careers are peaking and intersect with family caregiving responsibilities and other health factors. Instead of perpetuating silence and taboo, schools should foster positive discourses and create more supportive working conditions for menopausal employees. These insights could also be valuable for other organisational contexts.

Date of Award	10 Dec 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Bristol
Supervisor	Frances Giampapa (Supervisor) & Angeline M Barrett (Supervisor)