Happy Friday! Welcome to our Media Round Up. Each week we’re collecting and sharing gender + politics stories. Here’s what caught our eye this week:

How Does Menopause Affect Women in the Workplace?

Kelsey Butler, Bloomberg

According to a new study from the Mayo Clinic, the U.S. economy is losing $26.6 million per year due to declining productivity and health expenses resulting from employees managing menopause symptoms. The report from Mayo Clinic analyzed responses from 4,400 women from the ages of 45 to 60. Nearly 11% of women surveyed reported that they missed work in the last 12 months due to hot flashes and sleep disturbances. The study highlights, “… a critical need to improve the medical treatment provided to women with menopause symptoms and an opportunity to make the workplace environment more supportive for women going through this universal life stage.’”

Read the full story here. 

Biden’s reelection could hinge on how much women voters trust him on the economy

Grace Panetta, The 19th*

During his run for office in 2020, President Joe Biden promised to help women bounce back from the “first female recession.” Since taking office, women’s labor force participation has fully recovered above pre-pandemic levels. In addition, a high number of women with children under 18 have reentered the workforce. According to The 19th*, as President Biden launches his second term, his team will have to “educate voters about what he’s done — and convince them that he’s the one who can finish the job.” 

Read the full story here. 

Eleni Kounalakis first to launch campaign for California governor in 2026

Christopher Cadelago, Politico

On Monday, California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis launched her campaign to become the first woman governor of the state. In an interview with POLITICO, Kounalakis expressed that she wants to tackle the following issues plaguing the state of California including, “ … homelessness, income inequality and the soaring cost of living to the housing crisis, issues around mental health and rising deaths linked to fentanyl.” Kounalakis has been acting governor in the past, and signed a bill into law last spring, the first woman to do so in the state’s 171-year history. 

Read the full story here. 

Lesbian Visibility Week: 10 trailblazing queer women to celebrate

Jillian Eugenios, NBC News

Lesbian Visibility Week, observed from April 25th through May 1st, honors lesbians and other queer women who have made history throughout the world by challenging norms and defying expectations. Some of the women on this list of “10 trailblazing queer women to celebrate” include Anne Lister, Gladys Bentley, Chavela Vargas, and Dr. Margaret ‘Mom’ Chung. Although some of the women on the list were alive during times where there was no verbiage for queer identities, NBC News believes it’s still important to acknowledge their impact on forging new paths for queer women today. 

Read the full story here.

At the CEO level, women finally outnumber men named John

Emily Peck, Axios

Per a new analysis from Bloomberg, for the first time, women chief executive officers outnumber CEOs with the first name John among S&P 500 companies. There are 41 women leading S&P 500 companies, a new record that shows progress for women in corporate America. While the number of women outnumbers the number of men named John running S&P 500 companies, men still have a huge lead overall. Women still only hold 8.2% of CEO roles at large companies. 

Read the full story here.