How Will Society View Women Over 40 in the Future?

Join this conversation with pro-aging thought leaders about what the future may hold for women in “midlife” (whatever that means to you)

You’ve probably seen this image: the Golden Girls and the crew from the Sex in the City reboot, side by side, showing in stark contrast how characters of the same age are portrayed. With only a 30-year gap in the run between the two series, the images couldn’t look more different.

Today’s notion that “60 is the new 40” doesn’t even come close to capturing how much what a 40-, 50-, or 60-year-old looks like — let alone how she lives her life — has shifted in the last 30 years.

Brands often play in a sweet spot between reality and aspiration, meeting consumers where they are today and where they are going to be tomorrow. As the saying goes in business (and hockey), “Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.”

Acknowledging that the definition of middle age and preferred terms for defining midlife continue to evolve, we set out to explore a defining question: How will societal views of women 40+ will change in the future?

To answer this, we asked leading industry experts for their perspectives. In part two of our Call & Response series, we hear from Aubrey Hubbell of Hazel, Meri Frischman of The Pro-Age Woman, Omisade Burney-Scott of Black Girl’s Guide to Surviving Menopause, Stephanie O’Dell of Celebrate The Gray, Natalie Waltz of Tabu, Erica Fite of Fancy, and Susan Douglas, a professor and author of multiple books.

— Rachel Stevens & Amy Cuevas Schroeder

Erica Fite

Creative Director and Co-founder, Fancy

It’s a fact: women 40+ have long suffered from ageism. I know that there will be less of this in the future. I have seen some change occur in recent years with my own eyes. Still, I’m not sure exactly how long it will take to truly change those negative views; there’s so much repair to do.