Grandmothers can be such an important part of our lives, but have you ever wondered if having them around is more than just a blessing?
There’s actually been a lot of debate and misunderstanding about whether their presence is an evolutionary advantage. This idea even has its own name—the “grandmother theory or effect,” which suggests that menopause might be nature’s way of helping future generations thrive. One person with plenty to say on the topic—and on women in general—is former President Donald Trump’s vice presidential pick, J.D. Vance.
During a 2020 podcast interview, Trump’s running mate made the claim that “the entire purpose of postmenopausal women” is to help raise children. His remarks have recently resurfaced, reflecting Vance’s lack of understanding about the complexities of menopause and seems to underscore his readiness to insult women every chance he gets.
But what exactly is this theory, and how might it reshape our understanding of menopause?
What exactly is the ‘grandmother hypothesis’?
The “grandmother hypothesis” was first introduced in a 1957 paper by ecologist George C. Williams and has since been frequently cited to explain the existence of menopause. It suggests that human females evolved to live beyond their reproductive years only to invest in and care for their grandchildren, thereby enhancing their genetic legacy more effectively than continuing to reproduce into old age.
I’ll let that sink in for a moment—partly because I need to calm my frustration, and partly because it’s complete nonsense.
“I’m just going to put that in the patriarchal section and leave that on the side,” Dr. Mary Claire Haver and author of The New Menopause: Navigating Your Path Through Hormonal Change With Purpose, Power and Facts, told Flow Space during a book event in New York City earlier this year.
“Listen, if your goal in life is to care for your grandchildren, I think that’s beautiful, but I don’t think that’s required,” Haver added.
While Williams’ 1957 paper may have been the first, it’s not the only study to suggest the “grandmother hypothesis.”
In the 1980s, scientists studying the Hadza, a group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania, made some interesting observations. They noticed that a child’s growth was closely tied to the mother’s foraging efforts. But here’s where it gets interesting: when the mother had another child, the growth of the first child became more dependent on the grandmother’s foraging.
This suggested that grandmothers play a crucial role in helping mothers focus on having more children, seemingly supporting the “grandmother hypothesis.”
The misconception about menopause
For a long time, it was thought that only a few non-human species, like orcas, experienced menopause—not primates. However, a study published in 2023 has shaken up that belief. Researchers observing the Ngogo chimpanzees in Uganda found evidence that our closest relatives, chimpanzees, also experience menopause. Published in the journal Science, the study revealed that female chimpanzees live past the age of 50 and go through menopause.
However, unlike orcas, these postmenopausal females aren’t involved in raising their relatives’ offspring, suggesting that a different evolutionary process might be at play here.
There are several issues with the “grandmother theory,” that I could go on about.
However, the biggest issue with this theory is that it reduces women’s worth to reproduction. The theory suggests that a woman’s primary purpose, especially after menopause, is tied to her role in raising grandchildren. This narrow view diminishes the diverse and multifaceted lives that women lead, reducing their worth to their biological or caregiving functions.
Then, there’s the fact that it completely leaves out women who aren’t mothers or those who don’t have biological children.
As much as we’d rather not give J.D. Vance’s comments on women any more attention, one of his most controversial opinions is his view on motherhood. He’s gone as far as to call women without children “miserable childless cat ladies” and even suggested that they should have less voting power than people with kids.
In short, while the “grandmother hypothesis” might offer one explanation for the evolutionary role of menopause, it’s problematic because it can feel dismissive and limiting to women who don’t fit into this traditional narrative. And with the precise reason why women experience menopause still unclear, it’s important to consider perspectives that acknowledge the diverse roles women play beyond traditional expectations.
So, why do women experience menopause in the first place?
Menopause, which marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles, is a major life transition associated with aging and has significant health implications. Yet, according to a study published in Nature Aging, researchers fail to adequately account for menopause in 99% of studies on the biology of aging.
What’s more, the journey to a menopause diagnosis can be anything but straightforward.
A study published by the Independent in May, found that women were forced to attend up to 10 doctor’s appointments just to get an official menopause diagnosis. The problem could potentially lie with the array of conditions associated with menopause or hormonal changes, says Dr. Jennifer Lang, a board-certified OB-GYN specializing in holistic gynecology and preventive oncology.
“You’re not sure if you should see a sleep specialist because all of a sudden you’re not sleeping well and exhausted in the morning,” Lang tells Flow Space. “The list of conditions goes on: Should you see an orthopedic doctor because you have joint pain? Should you see a dermatologist because your skin is changing? Should you see a gastroenterologist because you feel like you’re digesting food differently? So you have these symptoms that are not clearly being linked to each other, presenting in a way that sends us to different specialists.”
Women will spend seven to 14 years of their lives in menopause, according to statistics from the National Institute of Aging.
Around the world, women do the vast majority of unpaid work, including child care, cooking, cleaning and farming, according to the UN. This unpaid labor is essential for households and economies to function, yet it is consistently valued less than paid work. With the precise reason women experience menopause still unclear, it’s crucial to consider perspectives that recognize the diverse, often undervalued roles women play, both in and outside of the home.
Rather than spend the majority of this time focusing on “more free labor,” as Haver refers to it, she suggests a different approach.
“Our bodies change, and we can’t stop it,” Haver says. “We have to really think about how we approach nutrition, especially how we approach movement. What can we do to decrease your hypertension, diabetes and stroke? What can we do to increase your muscle mass so you’re not falling? So that you can get off the floor. So you stay out of the nursing home. What can we do to decrease your risk of cognitive decline? These are the things we need to focus on in this stage of our lives.”