A menopause is asserting itself, for the first time in Portugal, as a issue of public health, equality and human rights, no longer being treated as an exclusively private and silent process that affected millions of women without an institutional response. The topic will be at the center of the international forum “Menopause and Human Rights – From Law to Commitment”which takes place this Saturday, March 28, 2026, in Lisbon, bringing together political decision-makers, health professionals and experts with the aim of transforming the recent legal framework into concrete public policies.
In Portugal, around three million women live this phase of life with a direct impact on their physical, emotional and professional health.often without adequate monitoring or clear information. Only recently was menopause recognized in national legislation through the State Budget for 2025 and reinforced in 2026 with the forecast of a National Strategy dedicated to the topic, including specific consultations, professional training and measures to promote well-being and healthy sexuality.
To Cristina Mesquita de Oliveirapresident and founder of VIDAs – Associação Portuguesa de Menopausa, this change represents a decisive moment, but still insufficient. “We have legislation planned and budgeted, but now it needs to be implemented. It is not enough to recognize menopause on paper: it is necessary to guarantee public policies that respond to the real needs of women”, he stated.
The person responsible highlights that menopause continues to be marked by social stigma and lack of information, both among the population and professionals. “Taking on the menopause process, with the impact it has, is a true test of civilizational maturity”he declared, arguing that this phase of life should be treated with the same social recognition attributed to menstruation or pregnancy.
Also Rosa Monteirosociologist and former Secretary of State for Equality, highlights that the professional impacts of this phase include absenteeism, loss of income and psychological suffering, arguing that “We cannot accept that this is treated as an individual vulnerability when it requires structural responses from health services and public policies”.
The association also warns of the direct impact of menopause on equal opportunities at work. According to Cristina Mesquita de Oliveira, “a woman and a man aged 45, in the same role, are not on equal terms”, remembering that around 90% of women feel significant effects from this phase, while many men are in full professional progression. “It’s not anyone’s fault. It’s biology. But that’s precisely why the State has to protect these women”he defended.
Among the most worrying problems is the lack of health literacy about menopause and the historical absence of specific medical training. Until 2019, the topic was not a mandatory part of the curriculum for access to the medical specialty, which contributed to decades of underdiagnosis and inadequate responses. “The majority of women between the ages of 45 and 60 who are taking antidepressants probably didn’t need this medication, what they needed was information about menopause”, he stated.
Rosa Monteiro adds that insufficient medical training in this area demonstrates how structural inequalities persist in women’s health throughout the life cycle, from menstruation to menopause, requiring an articulated and sustained public strategy. Despite recent advances, the director considers that institutional support is still insufficient. “There is growing interest, but effective support is still rare. We need to continue exposing menopause and strip this topic of the prejudices that persist”, he stressed.
For the association, legal recognition represents only the beginning of a broader process of social transformation. “It can’t just be those with financial resources who have access to adequate support. Menopause is a matter of equality”stated Cristina Mesquita de Oliveira, arguing that the future National Strategy should guarantee universal and sustained responses.
In the same vein, Rosa Monteiro argues that “it is time to respond: millions of women cannot continue without adequate monitoring”, highlighting that this is a political, social and human rights issue that requires priority on the public agenda.
The international forum now promoted in Lisbon aims precisely to consolidate this path, to define strategic priorities in an area that, for decades, remained invisible in the public debate, despite affecting a significant part of the Portuguese population.
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