Jennifer Weiss-Wolf on why menopause is political

Jennifer Weiss-Wolf is a lawyer, author, and longtime advocate for gender equality. She is executive director of the Birnbaum Women’s Leadership Center at NYU Law and leads partnerships and strategy at Ms. Magazine. Jennifer spent over a decade turning menstruation, something women were told to keep private, into a matter of public policy, and her new book, When in Menopause: A User’s Manual and Citizen’s Guide, does the same for menopause, making the case that it is not just a personal health issue but a workplace, economic, legal, and public policy one.

Jennifer traced how she stumbled into period policy back in 2015, after seeing two kids in her community collecting tampons and pads for a local food pantry, and how her own menopause transition during the pandemic pulled her into this next fight. We talked through the history of hormone therapy policy, from the misogynistic messaging of the 1960s to the 2002 study that scared a generation of doctors and patients away from treatment for decades, and why women are still living with the fallout of that decision today. Jennifer also broke down a whirlwind week of federal hearings on menopause care, including her own testimony before the Senate, and shared why she wrote the book as a practical, choose your own adventure style guide to help women advocate for themselves in the doctor’s office, the workplace, and their own communities.

Connect with Jennifer: Instagram | Substack | Buy the Book

If you’re looking to unleash your potential, find your personal, professional, or political fire, and to connect with a community who is doing the same, click here to learn more.

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit shannonwatts.substack.com/subscribe