Menopause Foundation of Canada’s Menopause Works Here™ campaign wins first-ever global Catalyst Award for Breakout Program

TORONTO, January 15, 2025 – The Menopause Foundation of Canada (MFC) announced today its Menopause Works Here^TM campaign is one of three in the world named a 2025 Breakout Program by Catalyst, the premier global nonprofit dedicated to promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion. Together with MFC, the award recognizes Sun Life for leading the way as the first organization to sign onto the campaign when it launched in 2023.

Groundbreaking MFC research demonstrates the impact of unmanaged menopause symptoms at work, and the staggering economic costs to women and the economy. MFC introduced the Menopause Works Here^TM campaign in response to this data; it encourages employers across Canada to support women in the prime of their working lives by making workplaces menopause inclusive. Free to join, the campaign provides free and practical tools and resources; by joining, organizations commit to listening to the perspectives of menopausal women, to learning about the impact of menopause at work, and to taking action to support women at this time of life. More than 80 employers, including Sun Life, PwC Canada, BMO, L’Oréal Canada, and Arthritis Society Canada have joined the campaign to date.

“Through the Menopause Works Here™ campaign, we aim to bridge the menopause knowledge gap in workplaces and empower employers to harness the full potential of women in their prime,” said Janet Ko, president and co-founder of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. “The response from Canadian employers has been very positive, and we’re honored to be recognized by Catalyst alongside our partner Sun Life for making a meaningful difference.”

This is the inaugural year for the Breakout Program award; since 1987, the highly regarded Catalyst Award has been awarded to organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to promoting gender equity and workplace inclusion.

“Sun Life is proud to partner with the Menopause Foundation of Canada on this groundbreaking initiative. We’re committed to being an employer of choice for women, and want to lead the way for other organizations to do the same,” said Helena Pagano, EVP, Chief People and Culture Officer, Sun Life. “For many women, perimenopause and menopause happens in the peak years of their careers. By being a menopause-inclusive workplace, Sun Life believes we can help more women thrive professionally and personally, with benefits extending to us as an organization, society and the economy.”

About the Menopause Foundation of Canada

The Menopause Foundation of Canada (MFC) is a national non-profit advocacy organization created to raise awareness of the impact of menopause on women and society. MFC’s mission is to eliminate the social stigma and taboos associated with menopause. The organization is dedicated to closing the menopause knowledge gap, improving access to menopause care and treatment and creating menopause inclusive workplaces. Learn more at MenopauseFoundationCanada.ca

For further information, please contact: 

media@menopausefoundationcanada.ca