Hello and welcome to a special edition of Women with Balls, where I Katie Balls speak to

today's trailblazers. For today's episode, sponsored Lloyd's Banking Group, we're going to be

discussing issues surrounding menopause in the workplace. Women of menopausal age make up a

tenth of the UK workforce and a quarter of all working

women.

The symptoms of menopause can make work much harder.

They include both physical and mental, from hot flushes and brain fog to insomnia.

But at a time when many may be reaching the peak of their career, these symptoms can halt

years of career progression.

What's more, the condition is often stigmatised and little

discussed. Steps are being made to break this. This year, MP has introduced the first private

members bill of menopause and the government established a menopause task force. Employers are becoming

ever more aware of the things they could do to help these millions of women. But what are the next

steps? With me to discuss

this is the Minister for Women's Health, Maria Caulfield, who also co-chairs the government's

Menopause Task Force, Jackie Smith, a broadcaster and Home Secretary under Gordon Brown. She is currently

chair of two NHS trusts. Finally, Michelle Blaney, Chief Culture and Talent Officer at Lloyd's Banking Group.

Thanks to my panel for joining me today.

Michelle, just to kick us off, could you lay out some of the figures when it comes to the scale of the problem?

Well, I think the scale is significant.

I mean, you've talked about some of the volume in terms of numbers.

But if I just look at a group like Lloyd's

...