On Friday, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) called for menopause to be recognized as a workplace issue within European Union (EU) legislation, linking its effects to the gender pay and pension gaps.

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The request was made on the occasion of World Menopause Day, observed on October 18. The trade union organization warned that this life stage remains largely unrecognized in European policies, due to the lack of harmonized legislation and the fact that the European Commission has no plans to develop a specific strategy.

According to the ETUC, nearly 30% of women experience symptoms that affect their ability to work, including fatigue, difficulty concentrating, sleep problems, hot flashes, joint pain, and anxiety.

Citing various studies, the confederation noted that women’s earnings decline by 7.4% in the four years following the onset of menopause. This drop is attributed to reduced working hours, medical leave, and the loss of promotion opportunities.

“The taboo surrounding menopause at work must end. The loss of wages, missed promotions, and lower pensions are the price millions of women pay because workplaces have not been adapted to menopause,” stated Isabelle Schömann, Deputy General Secretary of the ETUC.

Semana Europea para la Seguridad y Salud en el Trabajo: Avancemos. Compromiso con la Prevención de los Riesgos Psicosociales@EU_OSHA #SemanaEuropeaRESST #SemanaEuropeaSST_JCyL #Euhealthyworkplaceshttps://t.co/qQ1RZOp7yQ pic.twitter.com/3TIH5xJKxo

— Trabajo y Prevención Castilla y León (@prevencionjcyl) October 7, 2026

The text reads, “European Week for Safety and Health at Work: Let’s Move Forward. A Commitment to Preventing Psychosocial Risks”

Proposed measures

The ETUC has put forward a set of measures to adapt workplaces to the needs of women going through this stage. These include:

1- Workplace risk assessments that take into account temperature, ventilation, and facilities.

2- Flexible working hours and remote work.

3- Training for managers, human resources staff, and the broader workforce.

4- Policies agreed upon with trade unions, which are then implemented and monitored.

5- Physical adjustments to the workplace. Paid leave for symptoms, with no penalty for the employee.

6- Free menstrual and menopause-related products in the workplace.

Schömann pointed out that too many women have to lose wages or leave their jobs because very little consideration has been given to an experience shared by half the population.

The organization highlighted that many labor unions are already negotiating collective agreements that include temperature adjustments and flexible work arrangements. It also called for labor regulations—currently “geared toward male-dominated jobs”—to be adapted to the reality of the entire workforce.

#Belgium | At least 50,000 workers marched through Brussels against PM Bart De Wever's austerity plans, rejecting proposed cuts and demanding greater taxes on large fortunes.
Unions warn of further strikes.#WorkersRights #Austerity #teleSUREnglish pic.twitter.com/2ITyaadSGG

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) October 9, 2026

The World Gymnastics Championships in Rotterdam begin with the absence of Russia’s Angelina Melnikova—who was denied an entry visa by Dutch authorities—at a time when the first qualification spots for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games are up for grabs.

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The absence of Melnikova, the reigning world and European champion, will significantly impact the course of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, which begin this Saturday in the Netherlands. The competition will award direct Olympic qualification spots to the three countries that reach the podium in the team event, in both the men’s and women’s categories.

Russia’s participation will be severely limited; in addition to Melnikova, the team will be without Anna Kalmykova—the all-around runner-up at the most recent European Championships—and Viktoria Listunova, a member of the gold-medal-winning team at the Tokyo Olympics. All three gymnasts were denied entry visas.

The Russian Gymnastics Federation described the decision as discriminatory and a violation of the principles of equality that should govern any sporting competition. Meanwhile, the Russian ambassador to the Netherlands accused Dutch authorities of deliberately denying the visas to weaken the Russian team.

The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport rejected these accusations, stating that athletic performance plays no role whatsoever in the evaluation of visa applications, which are governed by the European Union’s Visa Code.

Welcome to #Rotterdam2026 ❤️‍🔥

🎥 A little taste of the action on the first day of Podium Training at the Ahoy Arena.#WorldGymnastics #Gymnastics pic.twitter.com/222XeJkdM6

— World Gymnastics (@gymnastics) October 15, 2026

At the same time, attention will also be focused on the return of Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade, a four-time medalist at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. This will be the gymnast’s first major international competition since stepping away from the sport over the past year to recover—both physically and mentally—from the previous Olympic cycle.

Her return will be gradual: Andrade plans to compete, at least initially, on the balance beam and vault. The Brazilian—a silver medalist in the all-around at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games—leads the Brazilian team alongside Flavia Saraiva; the squad earned a bronze medal in the team event in Paris.

The absence of Melnikova and American Simone Biles—the most decorated gymnast in history, who has not competed since the Paris Games—positions Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour as the top contender for the all-around title.

Nineteen-year-old Nemour won the Mediterranean Games this summer with a total score of 57.750, the highest mark recorded by any gymnast this season. However, she will face stiff competition from 16-year-old Qinqin Ke of China, the reigning Asian champion, and 18-year-old American Hezly Rivera, who will be making her World Championship debut.

In the men’s competition, Japan’s Daiki Hashimoto will aim for his fourth consecutive world all-around title. Should he succeed, the 25-year-old gymnast will move closer to the record held by his compatriot Kohei Uchimura, who won six consecutive gold medals between 2009 and 2015.

His primary rival may well be his teammate Shinnosuke Oka, the reigning Olympic champion. Also in the mix is ​​Croatia’s Illia Kovtun, the current European champion and a world medalist in 2021 and 2023. China’s Boheng Zhang—an Olympic and world silver medalist—will not participate due to a last-minute injury.

Japan enters as the favorite for the men’s team gold, led by Hashimoto and Oka, though they will face a strong challenge from the Chinese squad. The United States and Great Britain—the latter having won the European title in Zagreb—emerge as the top contenders for the third spot and Olympic qualification.

In the women’s division, a revamped United States team will aim to secure its eighth consecutive world team title. Italy—an Olympic silver medalist in Paris—and Brazil, which took bronze at the same event, will be their main rivals

#Sports | Olympic champion Angelina Melnikova will lead the Russian women’s artistic gymnastics team at the European Championships in Zagreb following Croatia’s last-minute reversal of her visa ban, amid an administrative dispute and neutrality protocols.https://t.co/ky7mmLCXdJ

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) August 12, 2026