Three-fifths (60 per cent) of working women believe health issues around menstruation, menopause and reproductive health can affect their career advancement abilities, according to a new report by Sun Life Financial Inc.

It found four in 10 working women said they’ve made career-limiting decisions for health-related concerns or to care for their family and 10 per cent said they’ve left their job or were planning to because of menopausal symptoms. Notably, a majority (85 per cent) said they believe women still bear a greater burden of household and childcare responsibilities than men.

When asked which health concerns were most important to them, more than half (56 per cent) of women said mental health. Indeed, the report found more than 40 per cent of disability claims made by women were for mental disorders, compared to 30 per cent for men, noting one of the main reasons cited was the stress of reproductive health issues.

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Nearly a third (29 per cent) of working women said they felt the need to lie to their managers about why they were taking sick days for women’s health issues. While roughly two-fifths (42 per cent) of respondents said there was an open culture for talking about women’s health at work, just 37 per cent said their employer provided adequate resources and support for their health needs.

Some of the main reasons cited for the gender health gap were a continuing lack of research, low awareness and understanding of some conditions and the stigma around women’s health issues.

“While we’ve seen progress breaking through the glass ceiling, support for women’s health issues continues to lack,” said Marie-Chantal Côté, senior vice-president of group benefits at Sun Life, in a press release. “We need more awareness and open dialogue. Talking about women’s health should be as comfortable as discussing back pain. The gender health gap affects not only women but their workplaces and society at large.”

Read: 2023 Mental Health Summit: How plan sponsors can help address the gender health gap