We celebrate Women’s Equality Day on August 26 to commemorate the19th Amendment of the Constitution, which provided women the right to vote.1 The declaration followed a wave of civil rights efforts led by women, allies, and advocates for gender equality.
This year marks the 125th anniversary of the signing of the proclamation—but Women’s Equality Day has come to stand for much more than its original achievement. For instance, the women’s rights movement has spearheaded a myriad of other notable milestones, including:
- 1963: The Equal Pay Act of 1963, which amended the Fair Labor Standards Act to protect against wage discrimination based on sex.2
- 1978: The Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 (PDA), which amended Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It also prohibits discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions in all employment practices.3
- 1993: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons, including caring for a newborn or a newly adopted or fostered child.4
In this post we’ll dive into some details regarding some of the progress made since the women’s rights movement first took shape, as well as current efforts in place designed to expand perimenopause awareness, improve menopause research and support, and more.
Additional headway in women’s rights has occurred throughout history and we’re hopeful that we’re about to see much more progress to come.5
Midlife Empowerment for Women
Despite the fact that nearly one million women in the United States experience menopause each year, less than 1% of studies on the biology of aging revolve around this transitional period.6,7
Fortunately, several cultures—including ours—are dedicated to defining a new era of women’s health and increasing midlife empowerment for women. The Advancing Menopause and Midlife Women’s Health Act, for example, was put into place with the goal of expanding federal research for menopause-specific programs and support women’s healthcare workforce training, awareness, education, and public health promotion to better support those in midlife.8 Other efforts—like the Menopause Research and Equity Act of 2023—aim to further evaluate the results of menopause research to aid in filling in the gaps of knowledge for future generations.9,10
Our own, annual State of Menopause surveys demonstrate that women are expecting more and tolerating less when it comes to menopause—our 2024 survey found that more than 69% of women are taking the initiative to self-educate themselves about menopause and more than half of respondents highlight the need for increased accommodations for menopause in the workplace.11 Legislation aside, advancements in women’s health and menopause support are coming from experts dedicated to researching and creating symptom solutions for women navigating the hormonal ups and downs of midlife.
Women-Centered Research from the Gates Foundation
Just in time for Women’s Equality Day, the Gates Foundation recently announced that it will be funding more women-centered research and innovation.12 Among other underfunded critical issues that affect women, this includes research into menopause and its symptoms. The foundation will be investing a total of $2.5 billion into R&D for more than 40 innovations to support women around the globe.
Celebrating Women in Midlife Through Groundbreaking Menopause Treatments and Support
Menopause is no longer something women need to suffer through in silence. Not only is there a greater variety of treatments available than ever before, healthcare providers and patients alike are improving their awareness of what menopause can be like for different individuals, which helps link seemingly-unrelated symptoms and can help lead women to more holistic symptom management options. Key to this change has been a willingness to bring menopause into the public discourse—removing the stigma and helping combat misconceptions.13
We hope you feel healthy, supported, and empowered on this Women’s Equality Day 2025.
Resources
- https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/resources/commemorations/womens-equality-day/
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/centers-offices/civil-rights-center/internal/policies/equal-pay-for-equal-work
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasam/civil-rights-center/internal/policies/pregnancy-discrimination
- https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fmla
- https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/resources/womens-rights-movement/detailed-timeline/
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-023-00509-8
- https://hms.harvard.edu/news/how-gaps-scientific-data-lead-gaps-care-aging-women
- https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/4246
- https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/6749/text
- https://www.letstalkmenopause.org/advocacy
- https://hellobonafide.com/pages/state-of-menopause-2024
- https://www.gatesfoundation.org/ideas/media-center/press-releases/2025/08/womens-health-funding-commitment
- https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/after-decades-of-misunderstanding-menopause-is-finally-having-its-moment/
