Holiday Extras national retail manager Lindsay Garvey-Jones and Silversea’s regional sales manager Julie Nunes launched Travel Talks Menopause earlier this week.
Garvey-Jones told TTG she felt the topic was among “the last frontiers” of social issues yet to be addressed by the travel industry and deserved to be included in the same conversations as diversity and inclusion and mental health.
The initiative sees Garvey-Jones and Nunes hosting virtual and in-person meetings and recording podcasts with health experts and other speakers to share experiences and boost understanding of how the menopause and perimenopause can impact industry employees.
“It’s not just women of certain age, it can affect anyone over 30 and it’s not just women – for men it’s their partners, sisters, aunties and everyone has a story to tell and a need to join the conversation,” said Garvey-Jones.
“We want to help create more open and knowledgeable employers and workplaces,” she added. “The initiative is for everyone, all gender identities and all ages.
"We want to create more safe spaces and make this topic – which is so important - one everyone can engage with.”
Garvey-Jones said she hoped the initiative could become “a catalyst for change” and bring in new policies among industry companies – such as those just announced by online fashion store Asos.
Asos has brought in paid leave for staff experiencing the menopause, fertility treatment or pregnancy loss and announced a raft of new measures for employees, including flexible working and paid leave at short notice.
The pair have launched an Instagram account (TravelTalksMenopause) for those interested in finding out more about the campaign.
