While much of the global research on menopause has focused on Western populations, the unique cultural, genetic, and lifestyle factors affecting Asian women during menopause have been largely overlooked. Key findings from a new white paper that surveyed 1,741 working women across five major Asia Pacific (APAC) countries—Singapore, Vietnam, Australia, Japan, and Indonesia titled 'Menopause and the Bottom Line: A Critical Leadership Challenge for APAC Leaders', published by NUS Bia-Echo Asia Centre for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (ACRLE) at the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (NUS Medicine), and HeyVenus Integrated Healthscience (HeyVenus) were presented today at a not-for-profit event attended by business leaders.
The study was driven by the goal to address a critical data gap regarding how menopause affects the wellbeing of women living in the Asia Pacific region (APAC) as well as the lack of data on how Asian women experience menopause. The research provides the first real-world data on how menopausal symptoms disrupts the professional and personal lives of female employees in the region.
Compared to Caucasian women, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and South Asian groups, East Asian and Southeast Asian women report the highest symptom burden which includes menopausal symptoms such as tiredness, hot flashes, vaginal dryness, night sweats, aches and pains in joints and muscles. Nearly half of the women surveyed cited significant disruptions to their work performance and daily activities including fatigue, forgetfulness, and difficulty maintaining prolonged focus affecting productivity. While this finding warrants further research, it supports other research findings [1] , [2] that Asian women may be more symptomatic during perimenopause and menopause but fail to get the support they need.
Despite most women surveyed experiencing at least two menopause symptoms that significantly affected their professional and overall quality of life, close to 50% of women, many at the peak of their careers, have not sought professional healthcare advice for their symptoms. Instead, they rely on the internet or family members for information. Many women also reported feeling completely uninformed about menopause, which underscore the urgent need for better education and healthcare support, given that the first organs to age in women are her ovaries, and menopause is a driver of age-related diseases according to prior research conducted by ACRLE.
Halting ovarian ageing as well as diagnosing, treating and delaying the onset of menopause is part of the ACRLE's efforts to help women preserve their reproductive systems for general health. "Being able to determine why and how fast a woman's ovaries age will enable us to not only extend their reproductive window but their overall healthspan." said Adjunct Assistant Professor Huang Zhongwei, Deputy Director of ACRLE and Consultant at the National University Hospital's Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology.
One of the ongoing research projects at ACRLE is exploring natural therapeutic strategies that could promote healthier ageing in women. This includes examining the effects of naturally derived compounds and medicinal herbs on ovarian ageing, with a focus on their role in modulating key ageing pathways, delaying senescence, and supporting reproductive longevity. With 37% of women surveyed in the whitepaper preferring natural remedies or alternative treatments over conventional medical options, and Singapore showing a similar trend, there is clearly a need for more research in this area. Assistant Professor Huang emphasised, "By providing women with more ways to mitigate the impact of menopause, it will empower them to thrive at work and in their personal lives."
The research findings also suggest that the menopause experience is not adequately addressed by employers, leaving many women without the necessary support systems during this critical phase of life. 61% of women surveyed felt that social stigma prevents them from openly discussing menopause symptoms and seeking support in the workplace. Close to 90% of female employees and most people managers in APAC said that a menopause-friendly policy would benefit the organisation, yet only close to a third of companies in APAC have one in place.
"Menopause is not just a women's health issue—it's a leadership and organisational challenge," said Ms Christina Ang, CEO of HeyVenus. "Our paper clearly shows that organisations failing to support menopausal employees are losing valuable talent, increasing absenteeism, and hindering productivity. By addressing menopause in the workplace, businesses can enhance employee retention, strengthen leadership, and improve overall organisational resilience."
ACRLE and HeyVenus are working on a follow-up white paper and academic manuscript that will address menopause from the perspective of people managers and employers, with a focus on country-specific policies including healthcare access, insurance policies, and workplace benefits.
