The Countess of Wessex has highlighted the "tragic" impact that menopause can have on employees, adding that women aged 50-plus are "even more fabulous".
Sophie, 56, joined the launch of the Menopause Workplace Pledge by health charity Wellbeing of Women, which is calling on all employers to sign up and support women going through the menopause.
An estimated 900,000 women in the UK have quit their jobs due to the menopause, with research showing many struggle to manage their symptoms at work.
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WATCH: Countess of Wessex supports campaign over 'tragic' impact of menopause
In a roundtable event to launch the campaign, the Countess of Wessex, Royal Patron, and Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Chair, spoke about the impact that the menopause can have on women and encouraged all organisations across the country to sign the pledge to support affected employees.
Mother-of-two Sophie said: "Women having to leave the workplace because of the menopause is tragic. We are fabulous in our 40s, and we are even more fabulous in our 50s, 60s and 70s and we need to celebrate that and keep opportunities going for women.
"Together, we can support the thousands of women out there who form the backbone of our workforce. We cannot let anyone leave the workplace, feeling that they have got to slope off into the shadows. We have to be able to change that."
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© Buckingham PalaceSophie has previously opened up about her experiences of menopause
The Countess, who became patron of Wellbeing of Women in May, has previously opened up about her own experience of the menopause, including brain fog and losing her train of thought on royal engagements.
She said at the time: "It's like someone has just gone and taken your brain out for however long before they pop it back in again, and you try and pick up the pieces and carry on."
Three in four women will experience menopause symptoms and one in four will experience severe symptoms, such as anxiety, brain fog, poor concentration, fatigue, hot flushes and irregular and heavy bleeding.
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HELLO! magazine, along with PwC, HarperCollins UK, Santander UK, Tesco, Severn Trent, Aster Group, Bupa, Standard Chartered and First Direct are among the companies which have already signed up.
Rosie Nixon, Editor in Chief of HELLO! magazine, said: "I am thrilled that HELLO! is teaming up with Wellbeing of Women to take a stand and put the menopause into the mainstream, to improve workplace conditions for women. It's quite shocking really, that there are not already policies in place to protect a time of life that all women will go through.
"I hope that our audience will get behind this important campaign and together we can make a real difference - not just for women, but for our partners and future generations too."
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