Menopause Overtakes Fertility as a Strategic Priority

31% of employers identify Menopause Support as the women's health challenge most likely to influence workforce strategy over the coming years.

Boston MA -- October 12: Corporate benefits leaders are rapidly broadening their focus beyond family-building and parental support.

The Women's Health Infrastructure Report 2026 reveals that menopause is emerging as a critical long-term workforce priority, directly challenging the traditional dominance of maternity programs.

While maternity currently receives the greatest immediate executive attention, employers project menopause support (31%) and maternal health (26%) to be the leading drivers of future workforce strategy. This shift points toward employers viewing women's health through a broader lens of retention, engagement, and sustainability across the entire employee lifecycle.

"Supporting maternal health is not an extra benefit on the margins of the business; it is core to workforce strategy and talent retention. Employers must evaluate more than whether a benefit technically exists—they must measure retention after childbirth, disability duration, healthcare utilization, and successful return-to-work rates to capture its true organizational value."

Ndidiamaka Amutah-Onukagha

Founder, Center for Maternal Health Advancement, Tufts University School Of Medicine

This finding represents just one of dozens of insights uncovered through the Women's Health Infrastructure Report 2026, a cross-sector study bringing together perspectives from health plans, providers, employers, clinicians, life sciences organisations and innovators.

The full report features detailed findings, expert commentary, benchmark data and practical implications for healthcare leaders looking to understand where women's health is heading next.

Lead Research Partner