Women Worth Knowing: In Conversation with GenM Founder, Heather Jackson

What does empowerment mean to you? Do you think the women’s health industry gets it right, or is there still work to be done?

To me, empowerment is confidence at the point of choice. It’s when a woman understands what’s happening in her body, feels validated in her experience, and can make informed decisions without fear, shame or confusion.

In menopause, empowerment begins with knowledge, but it doesn’t end there. It requires visible support, trusted products, open conversations and widespread cultural understanding. You can’t empower women if you leave them to navigate the 48 recognised signs of menopause alone. While awareness has grown, 78% of women still say they fear menopause and only 5% feel confident navigating it. Visibility alone isn’t empowerment. What’s needed is clarity, credibility and consistency across healthcare, workplaces, media and retail,  replacing silence with support and moving the narrative from fear to thrive..

GenM was born out of a conversation that largely wasn't happening in mainstream culture. When was the moment you realised the menopause space was underserved, and that you were the person to do something about it?

For me, it was deeply personal. One night I woke convinced I was having a heart attack - tight chest, racing heart and overwhelming panic. I ended up in hospital, only to be told it was a panic attack. Only later did I learn that anxiety and heart palpitations are recognised signs of perimenopause.

What struck me wasn’t just the symptoms, but the lack of education and signposting. No one had ever explained that perimenopause can begin up to ten years before menopause. As a businesswoman used to navigating complexity, I felt blindsided by something every woman will experience. When I looked at the retail and brand landscape, the gap was clear: there was no menopause category, no visible navigation and no trusted symbol helping women identify products that might support the 48 recognised signs. That disconnect between lived experience and credible support became the catalyst for creating GenM and the MTick - to build clarity, credibility and confidence for women navigating menopause.

Menopause has historically been shrouded in silence and shame – even amongst women. How did you go about changing a cultural narrative that's been entrenched for generations?

You can’t change culture by simply talking about it. GenM has  partnered with over 140 of the most powerful and progressive  brands and retailers, delivering trust and credibility in the menopause space, through the MTick, a universal trusted shopping  symbol and certification - identifying products that can support one or more of the 48 recognised signs. 

Just as important is the tone of the conversation. The narrative must move from fear to thrive. When menopause is framed as a powerful, inevitable life transition rather than a problem to endure we can truly change the rhetoric. When women thrive, the world thrives.

The women GenM exists to serve are often at a pivotal point in their lives – professionally, personally and physically. What do you think this generation of women in midlife is demanding that previous generations couldn't?

What we’re seeing now is a generation of midlife women who are increasingly clear about their value and less willing to feel invisible. Many are navigating significant moments in their lives,  supporting children or ageing parents, progressing or changing careers, prioritising relationships, friendships or personal ambitions. They are experienced, economically active and deeply engaged in the world around them, yet historically they haven’t always been reflected accurately in healthcare, media or retail. Increasingly, these women are no longer willing to simply “get on with it.” They want credible information, better workplace understanding and thoughtful product innovation.

Trust is central to this shift. Our research shows 94% of women say trust is critical when purchasing menopause-friendly products, and half are more likely to trust independent certification. They aren’t asking for special treatment, they’re asking to be properly supported and represented.

What does it mean to build a community around an experience that women were once expected to go through alone?

For too long, menopause has been an experience women were expected to navigate quietly and independently, often without language, context or shared understanding. That silence created isolation, and isolation can quietly erode confidence.

Building community means dismantling those invisible barriers and recognising that every woman’s menopause experience is different. In the UK alone, 15.5 million women are navigating menopause right now, this is not a niche experience. Community turns silence into conversation, comparison into compassion and isolation into solidarity. 

You're essentially asking brands, employers and institutions to take women in midlife seriously. What has that conversation looked like, and where is there still resistance?

Initially, there was hesitation. Menopause was often viewed as too niche, too sensitive or too medical to sit comfortably in mainstream society.

Women aged 45 to 55 are the fastest-growing consumer demographic by spend, and menopausal women represent around £2.4 billion in annual UK health and beauty spend alone. When organisations move from acknowledgement to action, the impact is measurable. Where resistance remains is often in the depth of commitment. Menopause isn’t a campaign or a commercial trend, it is a permanent life stage affecting half the population and requires sustained support across workplaces, products, policy and culture.

What do you wish every 40+ woman knew right now – about her body, her power and what's possible on the other side of menopause?

The biggest lesson I have learned is that understanding changes everything. When women know what is happening in their bodies, they stop questioning themselves. Knowledge brings confidence, self compassion and the ability to make informed choices.

If I could tell every woman over 40 one thing, it’s this: menopause is not something to fear, but something to prepare for. Perimenopause can begin up to ten years before menopause itself and anxiety, sleep disruption, brain fog, skin and hair changes and joint aches are all recognised signs. Preparation matters. With the right knowledge, conversations and trusted solutions, women can navigate this transition with confidence. Menopause isn’t an ending, with clarity and support, it can be the start of a powerful new chapter where women don’t simply cope, but thrive.