THE INVISIBLE MIDLIFE WOMAN SYNDROME IS ENDING
It's about time........
Hello, my lovely 45 Not Out-ers!
I hope this edition of the newsletter finds you well and settled into 2026. How’s your year going so far? Apart from all out war possibly instigated by that Idiot In Charge over in the US! But I cling to the fact that if you give an idiot enough rope he might hang himself. Not literally - wouldn’t wish him anything that would harm - but at least do something that he can be kicked out of the Oval Office for. Fingers crossed, anyway….
Right, with this issue I’m a little fired up- in a good way.
Let me explain…
Following a talk I gave the other week all about 45 Not Out (more about that in the next issue), in the talk I mentioned that I had noticed that I thought there had been a slight sea-change in how women in our generation were treated. So I wanted to do some research to see if my hunch that things are changing for us midlife and older was accurate.
And blimey - I was blown away by what I found. And, would you believe, it can all be laid at the door of that bitch called Menopause.
Another let me explain…
You can’t have missed all the exposure that menopause has had over recent years - spearheaded in the main by Davina McCall and others. So much so, that major UK companies such as M&S, Boots and even institutions such as HSBC and Astra Zeneca all have established menopause polices.
And, yes menopause may have been done to death, but, and here’s the good bit, it has been a complete TROJAN HORSE for throwing a major spotlight on women in this demographic. Because of organisations and society as a whole have had to spend time studying women at this age, it has made them realise what value and talent they are ignoring. And as I found online, there has been much chatter about this in boardrooms up and down the country. And I quote:
"Wait, she’s actually our most reliable, experienced, and high-value asset."
So, is it no wonder that me and many others are starting to see slight glimmers of recognition of the absolute value in someone of our age. I personally think there’s still a long way to go, and it’s doubtful whether I will get to see full equity for midlife women in my lifetime, but I’m thrilled to see that it’s beginning to change, regardless of how tiny it is at the moment.
As I was so fired up, I thought I’d do a bit more research to see if there were any stats that backed this up. I was blown away with what I found:
The Growth Driver: Women over 50 are the fastest-growing demographic in the UK workforce. As of 2025/26, there are roughly 5.3 million women aged 50–64 in employment.
The £6 Billion Boost: Recent 2026 economic analysis shows that increasing the employment rate of the 50–64 age bracket by just 1% would inject an extra £5.7 billion into the UK GDP annually.
The 63p Rule: By 2040, it is projected that 63p of every £1 spent in the UK will come from households headed by someone over 65, but the shift starts at 45. Women in the 45–60 bracket are often “The Chief Purchasing Officer” of the home, controlling the majority of discretionary household spend.
So much for the financial and business aspect. Here’s some amazing quotes that I found from UK Business leaders:
Ann Francke OBE, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), is a leading voice on this. She highlights the specific wall women hit just as they are becoming their most capable:
“Mid-life for women is where ageism meets sexism... Just as women shed the imposter syndrome and feel confident and able to wield their power—when their children are grown and the ‘double shift’ ends—they get whacked. Can your organisation really afford to lose her?”
Lyndsey Simpson, CEO of 55/Redefined, frames age not as a diversity "tick box," but as a survival necessity for businesses. She makes a brilliant point about the resilience of mid-life and older women in the workplace:
“There’s this idea that older people are less resilient. In reality, they’ve just been through more. They’ve built their resilience muscle through life experience, and it shows at work. This group doesn’t want handouts; they want opportunity.”
I could go on. But isn’t it brilliant to know that what I’m seeing is correct - there ARE some tiny changes going on both in the workplace and also in society in general, with some high profile voices advocating for us.
So, feeling a tad smug (I hope you’ll forgive me) I’ll crash on with 45 Not Out, sit back a little and watch it all unfold.
It’s likely to be exciting times, ladies. Enjoy!
PS - A request from me
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So that’ll be a wrap from me. I hope I’ve included something that resonated with you. If you have any comments, I’d love to hear them - good or bad. Just reply to this newsletter and it will find me.
Meanwhile stay safe, warm & well
Till next week
Una x