BRANDON Lewis last night said it is "essential" women going through the menopause are given the help and support they need.
The secretary of state tweeted his comments to mark World Menopause Day.
It came as the Equality Commission urged employers to step up efforts to facilitate women going through the menopause or they could end up on the "wrong side of the law".
Chief commissioner Geraldine McGahey said "many employers are doing really well - others are not" in supporting female employees experiencing symptoms.
"I think every employer should be walking away thinking I need to check my practices and procedures, I need to check what the needs are of my female employees, both now and in the future," she told BBC News NI.
Mr Lewis also said the impact on women's lives is "often overlooked".
"Most women in our lives will experience some symptoms and it is essential they have the help and support they need when they do - wherever they are in the UK - given the significant, and often overlooked, impact it can have on daily life and well-being," he said.
Research has shown that the impact of menopausal symptoms and the culture of silence around it is forcing some women to consider leaving their jobs.
Estimates suggest around 900,000 women in the UK have left jobs as a result of menopausal symptoms.
The Equality Commission, Irish Congress of Trade Unions' NI committee and the Labour Relations Agency produced new guidance earlier this year to address equality issues in relation to women affected by the menopause in employment.
It provides good practice examples and suggested tools for both employers and employees.
But several leading employers in the north have already taken steps to introduce changes to assist female staff, including Belfast City Council which is finalising a menopause policy developed through its women's steering group.
PricewaterhouseCoopers has also introduced a number of changes, including changing insurance arrangements so women can access cover for menopause.
Ms McGahey added: "We are finding a really positive interest in the subject. Our first conference had 121 delegates and that is organisations not people.
"We are running more events and have had over 500 downloads of our guidance notes."
