About ten years ago, at a trade show in Las Vegas, an American colleague confided that she had just turned 50. I congratulated her, but she quickly added: “I’m not telling many people – there’s something about that number that turns everyone off.”

She said it with such conviction, tinged with sadness, that I let the subject drop. Yet the comment stayed with me.

Fast forward to 2026. I’m 49, on the cusp of that same milestone, and I find myself wondering if attitudes have shifted. The answer is a big fat no.

Despite the rise of DEI initiatives and the endless stream of glossy podcasts about “inclusive company culture,” women of a certain age continue to face prejudice as entrenched as ever.

Here’s a not-so-fun fact: a recent Catalyst report revealed that 72% of women worldwide have hidden menopause symptoms at work at least once, fearing judgment or career repercussions.

PROBLEM IS TWOFOLD

The problem is twofold. Ageism still casts older female employees as less adaptable, less tech-savvy, or simply “nearing retirement” — regardless of their actual performance or ambition. Layered on top is menopause stigma: symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, or mood shifts are misunderstood, trivialised, or dismissed, reinforcing tired stereotypes of decline and instability.

For many women, the answer is to suffer quietly.

“This silence erodes self-confidence and discourages open dialogue, making it harder for women to advocate for themselves or seek accommodations,” says Maureen Bannerman, Co-Founder of the GCC Menopause Hub. 

“This can result in reduced confidence in meetings, leadership pipelines not being advanced, and performance evaluations failing to take symptoms into account. When women opt out of opportunities to avoid scrutiny or stress, they are not challenged as to why.”

Aside from women not fulfilling their potential while at work, many are not even making it to an interview due to discrimination.

“From an HR perspective, my view is that recruiters and hiring managers often face overwhelming numbers of applications,” says Kristina Vaneva, an employee experience professional and author of Beyond Employee Engagement.“Age filters can be used as a shortcut to narrow the field, reinforcing the idea that the ‘right’ age means the right fit for a fast-paced environment.”

ANTI-AGEISM LAWS ARE STILL EVOLVING

She confirms that in the UAE, the legal framework is progressing, but explicit anti-ageism laws are still evolving compared to some Western jurisdictions.

“While we are thankfully seeing a growing surge of training, seminars, symposiums, and events dedicated to female health changes, in my opinion, the topic largely remains taboo in this region. Despite the volume of public awareness efforts, a deep-seated cultural fear persists that disclosing hormonal or bodily changes will lead to a woman being perceived as unstable, incapable, or old and useless.”

Age discrimination against women in the workplace usually shows up subtly but persistently. Experts highlight warning signs such as being passed over for promotions, excluded from projects, or targeted in layoffs despite strong performance. Age-related jokes, assumptions about tech skills, or sudden negative reviews can all signal bias.

Katy Holmes, CEO of the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai, captures the deeper cultural challenge: “Many governments have introduced quotas for women on boards to attempt to rebalance the wholly disproportionate gender representation. Men have naturally had a straight and upward trajectory in their careers. In contrast, most women hit plateaus that significantly impact the time it takes to reach the same milestones as their male colleagues. The two main plateaus are maternity and motherhood, and then menopause.”

WHAT CAN EMPLOYERS DO?

So, what can employers who want to do better actually do? To empower midlife women across the GCC, both cultural and corporate shifts must normalize and eliminate stigmas surrounding peri- and menopause, says Bannerman. “Ensuring women feel they can be retained and are given fair opportunities as leaders and mentors.”

Areas where organizations can truly support include providing insurance health benefits for menopause, flexible working hours, and manager training to ensure women navigating perimenopause and menopause do so without career penalty. “Normalizing the conversation by spotlighting successful female leaders going through these transitions and creating in-house support groups is equally vital,” adds Bannerman.

She says that succession planning must include midlife women, not just younger talent, while tracking retention, promotion, and pay equity for women over forty can inform policy and close gaps.

While age-related slights in the corporate world sting, some women have used them as fuel for greater confidence. Catherine Granger, Founder of Trajan Consulting and The Global Network, says, “I am in my late 50s, I have noticed some very obvious remarks based on my age. But age refines me, it does not confine me,” she says. “I still feel as confident and as sassy as I did in my 30s. When I encounter ageism, I try to remain elegant and composed. I have years of resilience and results behind and in front of me. I do not let other people’s prejudices derail me from my path. Experience is a luxury, not a liability.”

Frustratingly, her daughter, Kayleigh Coombes, who is an executive assistant, says ageism against women can happen on the other end of the scale, too. “It’s not just older women being pushed aside — young women get hit with assumptions about their commitment, capability, and potential maternity schedules. We can probably stop treating women’s lives like some sort of HR-approved crystal ball and start judging talent on actual talent.”