Maria Kovacic (NSW, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

():  I take note of the report of the Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into menopause and perimenopause. I would like to thank the hundreds of women who came forward with their experiences with menopause and perimenopause, the medical experts who gave their advice, and the countless women's organisations who worked with the committee on this inquiry. I also thank my colleagues Senators Waters, Marielle Smith, Pratt, Allman-Payne, Askew and Hughes. This was a group of women who worked together in order to try and come to some answers that would actually create meaningful outcomes for Australian women.

During the inquiry, I received countless emails from women who were grateful just to be seen and heard after generations of invisibility on this issue. They came forward despite the stigma that surrounds menopause and perimenopause. One woman wrote to me and said: 'I worked in a private equity firm and began going through menopause in my mid-40s. In 2018, I was sat down and asked to leave my job because my manager believed I "wasn't coping with the pace of the job anymore" and they "needed someone with a more youthful approach".' She said, 'How insulting after 10 years of loyal, dedicated service.' Another woman who contacted me said: 'I am so pleased that there is a Senate inquiry into menopause and perimenopause. I'm not sure how much "good" will come of the inquiry, but I sincerely hope that light is shed on the subject and the conditions are able to be freely discussed and not dismissed as female hysteria or taboo.' I firmly believe that much 'good' can come of this inquiry and of this mostly consensus report.

The report makes a series of very important recommendations which will undoubtedly assist all women—our mothers, daughters, sisters and friends all across Australia—experiencing perimenopause and menopause, including some who are currently wondering what on earth is happening to their bodies. Maybe they'll be able to look to this and go, 'That's what is happening to me,' where others before them haven't been able to. As I've said many times in this chamber before, half of the population experiences menopause, and we need to update our systems to accommodate this phase of life, especially as our population gets older. We can only fix problems if we acknowledge them. We can't fix problems by pretending that they do not exist or not talking about them because they are a little bit uncomfortable or awkward to talk about.

One set of recommendations I would like to highlight surrounds education and awareness. What we heard during the inquiry process was there is a general lack of understanding of menopause and perimenopause across the board, whether that is women themselves, doctors or workplaces. There is a clear need to do more in the education space. Bettering our education and awareness on the topic of menopause is the first step of many that will make a positive impact on the lives of women. Like many of the women who gave evidence, I too had no idea that many of the symptoms I was experiencing were related to perimenopause or menopause. It means women will know what to expect when they experience menopause. Doctors will be more able to provide correct diagnoses and treatment. Workplaces will find ways to accommodate, and the stigma surrounding it will be reduced.

Another important set of recommendations surround the access to hormone replacement therapies, which make a real and significant difference to the lives of some women experiencing menopause. Women who choose to take MHT should be able to access it readily. They should not have to run around for hours to find a pharmacy that has it in stock. This is Australia in 2024. If we need a medication, we should be able to get it. Ensuring timely and affordable access to these therapies is in the domain of the Australian government, and I look forward to seeing their response to this report.

The only real area of divergence in this report is on the topic of menopause leave. As we outlined in our additional comments, it is the view of the coalition senators that the conversation on menopause-specific leave was primarily driven by a small group, and that the vast majority of evidence submitted actually flagged serious concerns over what negative impacts could be derived from such a policy. Coalition senators absolutely agree that a review into workplace flexibility has merit. Industrial relations laws are complex, and it is our view that the Community Affairs Committee's remit is on health and social services. During this inquiry the interaction with businesses and IR experts was limited, so we sought to extend that into a deeper discussion, into deeper scrutiny and a deeper inquiry. That is why it was our view that the Senate refers an additional inquiry into the impacts of IR laws on menopause to the Education and Employment References Committee, which is better placed to inquire into these matters and make accurate and compelling recommendations in this space.

I think it is really important for us when we speak of what the outcomes of this are to reflect on the many and varying experiences of Australian women, on the opportunity that we have here to be their voice and to do it in a way that is respectful and can deliver meaningful outcomes. I think there are many times where there are different agendas that mean we do not deliver the outcomes that we need and I do not believe this inquiry was one of those. I believe we worked in good faith to deliver the best possible outcomes for Australian women. I hope that, as a result, we can see a change across the board both in workplaces, in medical educational institutions and in our ordinary lives, where we can talk about problems in the same way that we talk about mental health and have it as a normal part of our everyday lives.

I thank again my colleagues for their participation in this inquiry. I just want to finish up with a couple of our additional comments in our report around the widespread concerns of Australian women around having sensible discussions designed to increase public awareness, to destigmatise, to provide access to treatments and supports, and to encourage further research and foster new pathways for vocations related to menopause and perimenopause.