Women’s Month often brings celebration, recognition and powerful messages about women’s achievements. But behind the speeches and celebrations are conversations that many women still struggle to have at work.
What happens when a hot flush hits during a meeting? What happens when violence at home follows an employee through the workplace doors? And what happens when someone needs help but is too afraid to ask?
These are not simply personal matters. They can affect health, confidence, safety and a person’s ability to work.
For Empact Group, these questions became central to its Women’s Day gathering this August, where menopause, mental health and gender-based violence were brought into the open.
The event featured contributions from Redefining Menopause Africa and the TEARS Foundation, followed by an ‘Ask, Share, Bloom’ panel discussion designed to encourage honest conversations around experiences that are often left outside formal workplace discussions.
When the body becomes the conversation nobody wants to have
Imagine sitting in a meeting when a hot flush suddenly begins.
The room feels warmer. Concentration becomes harder. Yet instead of asking for the air conditioning to be adjusted, an employee may simply endure it.
Why?
Because she may fear embarrassment, jokes or assumptions about her age.
Menopause can involve hot flushes, disrupted sleep, anxiety, changes in mood and difficulty concentrating. These experiences can affect a woman’s working day, yet discussing them at work can still feel uncomfortable.
Empact Group believes workplace support does not always require complicated solutions.
Sometimes, it starts with practical questions.
Are uniforms made from breathable fabrics? Are alternative options available? Can an employee request a fan or cooler meeting room without feeling compelled to explain herself?
For Salwa Albertyn, Group Human Resources Executive at Empact Group, employers should examine whether everyday workplace practices still serve the people who rely on them.
“Sometimes we need to look at workplace practices we have taken for granted and ask whether they still work for the people using them.”
That approach goes beyond having a policy on paper. It involves informed managers, practical adjustments and a culture where employees feel comfortable asking for what they need.
When home does not stay at home
The conversation becomes even more serious when gender-based violence enters the picture.
An employee experiencing abuse may arrive at work frightened or exhausted. An abusive partner may repeatedly contact them during working hours. They may need time to seek medical attention, attend court or speak to a counsellor.
For some people, the workplace may even be one of the few places where they feel safe.
That creates an important question for employers: Does an employee know where to turn when they need help?
Sanele Mlambo, Group Marketing & Communications Executive at Empact Group, says employees do not leave their personal realities behind when they arrive at work.
“Women do not stop experiencing what is happening in their bodies, homes and personal lives when they walk through the workplace door.”
For employers, the responsibility is not to become counsellors, doctors or investigators. It is to ensure managers know how to listen, understand internal reporting and referral processes, recognise when professional support is needed and respond with care.
An open door is only useful if people feel safe walking through it
Albertyn says an open-door policy must be matched by trust.
Employees need to believe they can disclose something deeply personal without being judged or having their privacy mishandled.
“They need to know that they can speak without judgement and that what they share will be handled with care and discretion.”
That responsibility extends to managers across the organisation.
It also extends beyond women.
Menopause affects colleagues, partners, families and teams. Conversations about gender-based violence cannot exclude men either.
Creating healthier workplaces means ensuring people of every gender have the language and confidence to respond appropriately when difficult issues are raised.
Confidence can be rebuilt in unexpected ways
Empact Group’s Women’s Day gathering also explored the idea of ‘Embracing a Rebirth of Confidence’.
One employee shared her journey after winning an internal health challenge hosted annually by the organisation.
Her story was about more than physical health.
She had joined Empact Group as a cleaner. She now works as a logistics planner.
Her career journey illustrates how transformation can take different forms.
It can mean taking control of your health. It can mean finding the courage to speak about something that has remained hidden. It can also mean being given the opportunity to imagine and pursue a different professional future.
For Mlambo, creating that space is crucial.
“There is enormous value in creating working environments where people can see possibilities for themselves.”
That possibility could mean career progression, better health or simply having the confidence to say, “I am struggling and I need some support.”
All three require trust.
The workplace questions that matter
Women’s Month provides an opportunity to celebrate women. It can also provide an opportunity to look more closely at the workplace itself.
Are there subjects employees still whisper about?
Do workplace policies reflect the realities of the people they are designed to support?
Are uniforms and working conditions suitable for women at different stages of life?
Do managers know what to do when an employee says, “I need help”?
Most importantly, do employees believe they can say those words in the first place?
For Empact Group, the answer begins with conversation.
“Sometimes the starting point is simply having a courageous conversation,” says Mlambo.
But starting the conversation is only the beginning.
The real test is what employers do after listening.
A workplace where people can speak openly about menopause, mental health, gender-based violence, health, safety and personal challenges is not simply being more compassionate. It is recognising that employees are human beings whose lives do not stop at the workplace entrance.
And sometimes, the most meaningful workplace change begins with finally saying out loud what people have been afraid to discuss.
