Seven employers across Dublin are celebrating after they were honoured at the inaugural Menopause Workplace Excellence (MWE) Awards.
The ground-breaking awards rate organisations on the efforts they are making to become menopause friendly.
And dozens of forward-thinking workplaces across Ireland submitted entries ahead of the ceremony at the Stella Cinema in Rathmines, Dublin, organised by The Menopause Hub and accreditation service, Great Place to Work.
But the honours were dominated by Dublin employers – and first to the winners’ podium was the HealthPoint Pharmacy in Drumcondra, which was named MWE Best Small Company in 2023.
Multi-media company Distilled in Dublin 8, which owns the daft.ie, adverts.ie, donedeal, and gumtree websites, was named the MWE Best Medium Company 2023.
In the MWE Best Large Company category, supermarket chain Lidl, which has its Irish head office in Tallaght, was the entrant that impressed judges the most.
Multinational food company Kellanova, which has an office in Whitehall and which owns a string of well-known brands including Kellogg’s, Pringles and Special K, was named MWE Best International Business 2023, while Tallaght University Hospital received the Best Public Sector Company award.
The Royal College of Surgeons Ireland at St Stephen’s Green was named the MWE Best Education Sector Company 2023, while Dublin Docklands-based marketing specialists Core was the winner in Best Menopause Champion Network category.
At the October 12 ceremony, leading businesswoman Norah Casey said she could recall a time when career women going through the so-called change of life felt isolated.
“There was no question that you could raise an issue regarding menopausal symptoms or seek practical help to deal with what is a systemic change to a woman’s body,” said the former Dragons’ Den star who was a member of the judging panel.
And although Ms Casey acknowledged that attitudes are slowly changing, she said she hoped the inaugural MWE awards would help to normalise menopause and “support women through this natural, but often disruptive and debilitating, life event”.”
“I grew up in boardrooms when menopause was shrouded in mystery, myth and misinformation,” she said.
“Now, menopause is having a moment, which is great, but we need to move beyond the marketing hype.”
Menopause Hub founder and CEO Loretta Dignam, who also helped select the winners, said: “The organisations represented here today show that Ireland, along with the UK, is leading the way on menopause workplace awareness and on improving the menopause experience for generations to come.”
Fellow judge, Great Place to Work CEO Cathal Divilly said: “We are delighted to be a part of the Menopause Workplace Excellence Awards, which showcases organisations who go above and beyond to build inclusive workplace cultures.”
The judging panel also included Denise Kennedy, Assistant Secretary General at the Department of Agriculture, and Dr Conor Harrity, consultant gynaecologist at Beaumont and Rotunda hospitals and Medical Director at The Menopause Hub.
For more information and about the awards, please visit menopauseexcellence.com.
