💌 Weekly: What if menopause isn’t the end...

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The Female Quotient
April 21, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes

WHAT’S ON DECK

  • Tell Me More: In Japan, menopause is called “kĹŤnenki,” meaning “renewal years”

  • FQ Leaders Spotlight: Natalie Lizarraga, host of Broadlines video podcast, The Female Quotient

  • Inside Track: Leaders on the move

  • Dear FQ: How to assign the unsexy work without killing morale

  • Poll the Pack: â€śThat’s not in my job description”

TELL ME MORE

Menopause and reflect

For many, menopause is a dreaded word. Its symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, breast sensitivity, decreased metabolism, weight gain…the list goes on. The average length of time a woman experiences these symptoms is 7 years and can last as long as 14. Yes, FOURTEEN.

And it’s not just uncomfortable, it has long-term effects as well. The loss of estrogen that women experience contributes to osteoporosis and can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Beyond the physical impact, there’s the cultural one. In many Western societies, menopause is filtered through both ageism and sexism. Women are subtly, and sometimes not so subtly, labeled “past their prime,” as if fertility were the primary marker of relevance. With messaging like that, it’s no wonder so many women dread it. But that’s not the whole story.

In Japan, even the language shifts the experience of menopause. Instead of defining it as the end of menses, the term “kĹŤnenki” translates to “renewal years.” It’s framed as a transition into strength, wisdom, and expanded identity. A woman is not saying goodbye to her youth, but achieving a celebrated social status where she has the opportunity to focus on her interests, goals, and self-care as her body goes through an adjustment period to reach a new equilibrium. 

Interestingly, Japanese women also report fewer menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes. In fact, hot flashes are so rare in Japanese culture that their media had to invent a word for it: “hotto furasshur.” And the differences don’t stop there. They are also less likely to take hormone replacement therapy and are at lower risk for cardiac disease and osteoporosis. 

How is this possible? Some of it can be explained by lifestyle choices. The loss of estrogen can trigger many menopausal symptoms. In Japan, soy is a large part of the diet, and one of its key components, isoflavones, acts similarly to estrogen. But that is not enough to make up for the large discrepancy in how women worldwide experience menopause. Says Dr. Sandra Thompson, Professor of Rural Health at the University of Western Australia, “If menopause symptoms were due solely to hormonal changes, then the menopausal experience would be more homogenous.”

Which brings us to mindset. Research shows that in cultures where aging is viewed negatively, women report more distress around menopausal symptoms. In one study in Japan, when menopausal symptoms were listed alongside general health complaints, both men and women reported experiencing them, and in some cases, men reported certain symptoms even more frequently. So, how then do we know if a symptom is actually menopausal?

Melissa Melby, an anthropology professor, warns what can happen when we assume that every symptom in midlife is due to menopause: “Attributing everything to menopause may lead to unnecessary fear and medicalization of a phenomenon that is inherently natural. Worse, the confusion may mask other underlying conditions that might otherwise go untreated.” Western cultures viewing menopause as a medical “problem” have actually made it more of a problem. 

We don’t treat puberty like a secret; we teach it, talk about it, normalize it. Menopause deserves the same energy. It’s not taboo; it’s a transition. And yet, for something so universal, it’s still whispered about in workplaces, skimmed over in medical training, and barely addressed in early health education. If we want women to stop dreading this stage, we have to change the narrative. Menopause isn’t an end-of-life event; it often lands right in the middle of a woman’s peak earning and leadership years. That makes it not just a health conversation, but a workplace and economic one.

Other societies around the world simply consider menopause part of the life cycle. And this mindset is worth adopting, as it sees menopause not as the end of relevance, but the beginning of a more self-defined chapter. It’s a pathway to discovering a deeper, more natural purpose, which the Japanese call “ikigai.” After decades of navigating gendered expectations in work, family, finances, and healthcare, this stage can offer something rare: perspective, clarity, and a sharper sense of what matters and what doesn’t. If we reframe and educate on menopause, we can see it not as a loss, but as a meaningful, well-earned arrival.

FQ LEADERS SPOTLIGHT

Troublemakers who don’t fit the mold, and don’t try to

Natalie Lizarraga is a journalist who has done it all: the Academy Awards, the Super Bowl, and hard-hitting news. She has been everything from a producer and traffic anchor to an entertainment reporter and news anchor. Now, she is the co-host of The Female Quotient’s new video podcast, Broadlines, which debuted in February. On Broadlines, Natalie leads real conversations on the news, reframed, rethought, and recharged for women who have *thoughts​* on women’s health, motherhood, friendship, money, and everything in between. Because we don’t need another breaking news alert. We need conversations that break the news down.

What’s the worst career advice you’ve gotten?

You should act or sound like the successful people who have come before you. There’s the news anchor voice, the news anchor hair, and the idea that you have to fit a specific mold to make it. But the best thing you can do is be your authentic self. Yes, you can learn from people in high positions and see what’s worked for them, but that doesn’t mean it will work for you. Everyone is different, and you have to be intentional about not falling into that trap, no matter your industry.

What’s the best piece of non-obvious career advice you’ve gotten?

Don’t take others’ opinions of you personally. There are people who are going to love everything you do, and there are people who aren’t going to understand where you’re coming from. I think social media can make it easy to compare your life, work, and productivity to other people, and that’s a slippery slope. It can be hard to stop scrolling, but if it makes you feel like you aren’t doing enough, then it’s time to put the phone down. Everyone is on their own journey, and regardless of what anyone else says, yours is right on track.

What was a heartbeat moment for you in your career?

I decided to take a break from my career when I had my daughter. At first, it was really scary, and I felt like I was losing traction, losing my skill set, and becoming irrelevant. But at the same time, I was raising my baby girl, whom I had wanted so badly. Having her forced me to slow down. In my job, I was used to constantly moving and never really stopping to take anything in; it was always on to the next thing. But when the wheel stopped, I was finally able to absorb motherhood.

The year passed quickly, and things didn’t change as drastically as I thought they would. It wasn’t until I was ready to reenter the workforce that I realized taking that pause was the right decision. The road aligned, the bricks were laid just right, and the choices I made during that time were key to getting me where I needed to be.

Who is one person you’d love to give flowers to from your career that influenced your journey? What advice or lesson did you learn from them?

Stephanie Elam and Michaela Pereira are two anchor reporters whom I met at a convention when I was at my first job as a young traffic reporter. It was very intimidating, so to have women in such high positions take me in and mentor me was pivotal. There are things in my industry that are really tough to navigate, especially as a woman of color. I learned so much from them. The most valuable lesson is to be comfortable in your own skin and confident in your voice.

Where have you caused some good trouble in your career?

My first job in entertainment was as a talent assistant at Entertainment Tonight. I was doing the usual assistant tasks, admin work, coffee runs, etc., and I quickly realized I had more to offer. My boss would come back from business trips with a flood of information, and I was left piecing together who said what, what deals were on the table, and where he needed to be next. So I made him a bet: if I traveled with him, I could help the company make more money. He agreed, and everything changed. 

I became the point person for bookings, helped negotiate payment terms, and brought efficiency that made an impact. For five years, I traveled the world with him, and the company started to see the value I brought to the table. I was the first assistant to travel, and after that, other assistants did as well. It taught me something important: you can accept “that’s just the way it’s always been,” or you can shake things up, challenge the norm, and create change. Sometimes, a little good trouble goes a long way.

Want to nominate a “Troublemaker” you admire? You can do so here.

INSIDE TRACK

Leaders on the move

DEAR FQ

Your burning career questions answered

Sarah Williams of The Female Quotient weighs in:

Let’s be honest, not every part of our work is energizing. That holds true at every level. The difference between a task feeling like punishment versus responsibility is context.

Start with positioning. Help your team understand why the work matters and how it connects to the bigger picture. Even unglamorous tasks are often foundational. When people see the impact on the project, the team, or the business, the work feels purposeful, not arbitrary.

And be explicit about why you’re asking a specific person to take it on. Anchor the assignment in their strengths or experience. Maybe they’re detail-oriented, trusted with sensitive information, or especially strong with numbers or clients. Saying, “I’m asking you because you’re good at this and I trust your judgment,” reframes the task as recognition, not a burden.

That said, managers often overlook rotation and visibility. If the same people always get the heavy lift, resentment builds fast. Be mindful of how these tasks are distributed. And when the work is done, acknowledge it publicly. Credit matters, especially when the work happens behind the scenes.

The goal isn’t to make every task exciting. It’s to make people feel respected, trusted, and clear on how their contribution fits into something bigger. That’s what turns “no one wants to do this” into “this is part of how we win together.”

P.S. Got a burning career question? Serve it up here to Dear FQ to score advice from a powerhouse leader in our network.

POLL THE PACK

Working outside the lines

“That’s not in my job description,” might be a phrase that has never escaped the lips of 42% of professionals who step up when their team needs it. This demonstrates just how many people are motivated by collective responsibility. Team-first behavior keeps organizations running, especially during periods of change. 

Close behind is 37% of employees who say that they are willing to take on extra tasks anytime it helps them grow. Additional work can allow for learning new skills and working with new teams, which can come in handy if you are seeking a raise or advancement within the company. 

But it also raises an important question: when stepping up becomes the default, does it remain a choice or an expectation? Work done “for the team” is often essential, yet not always visible or credited. And if you become Joanna-on-the-spot too often, it can lead to resentment and burnout. If this does become a pattern, make sure you advocate for yourself. 

Taking on additional work shows that you have the company and your team’s success at the forefront of your mind. But if doing so will impede your ability to properly perform your actual job, speak up and ask your manager to help you prioritize. 

Reliability is a real asset, but no high-performing team succeeds because one person carries the weight. Sustainable success comes from collective accountability.

"It’s really important that people understand menopause is not the end, and we are still relevant. We’re not invisible. Our experiences matter." - Naomi Watts

Xo,

The FQ

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