Readers respond to a feature on women forced out of work by menopause and a report on suggestions that menopause should be a protected characteristic under the Equality Act
Middle-aged women and others going through the menopause experience unacceptable discrimination. However, the law as it stands means legal cases challenging menopause-related discrimination need to be brought on grounds of sex, age or disability.
If the law currently works inadequately, should menopause be added to the list of grounds recognised by the Equality Act 2010 (Equality laws could be changed to protect women in menopause, says MP, 18 August)? In our view, menopause-based discrimination highlights instead the relevance and value of an “intersectional” approach. This recognises that discrimination is often due to a combination of social biases. Kimberlé Crenshaw, who developed the term in the late 1980s, focused on the disadvantages that black women faced and the inadequate response of American anti-discrimination law to their experiences.