Gold Fields Calls For End To Menopause Stigma, Urges Support For Breast Cancer Patients

Women battling breast cancer or navigating menopause need more than medical attention to cope with their conditions; they also need understanding families, supportive workplaces and communities willing to challenge the stigma surrounding their experiences.

Gold Fields officials who attended the programme

This was the central message from health professionals at a Breast Health and Menopause Awareness Forum organised by Gold Fields Ghana Limited which warned that misconceptions, emotional distress and inadequate workplace support could undermine women’s well-being, confidence and productivity.

The forum, held by the company’s Employee Well-being Department as part of activities to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Week, was organised under the theme “Beyond the Pink: The Full Picture.”

It brought together employees, community members, spouses of employees and representatives of corporate organisations in the Tarkwa and Prestea-Huni Valley municipalities to discuss breast cancer prevention, menopause and the physical, emotional and social challenges women face.

The discussions went beyond awareness of the diseases to highlight the need for early diagnosis, psychological care and supportive environments that allow women to navigate these experiences without fear of discrimination or isolation.

Menopause is not a disease

For Dr Magdalene Bakari, Lead Specialist for Health Services at Gold Fields Ghana Limited, one of the biggest challenges facing women experiencing menopause is the misunderstanding that surrounds this natural stage of life.

She said menopause should not be treated as an illness or a reason to discriminate against women, stressing that the hormonal changes associated with the transition could significantly affect their physical and mental well-being.

Symptoms such as hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood swings, forgetfulness and depression can affect women’s daily activities, relationships and performance at work. Without adequate understanding and support, Dr Bakari warned, women could find themselves struggling to manage these changes in environments that offer little room for their needs.

She called on employers to consider practical workplace adjustments, including flexible working schedules, appropriate dress codes, access to drinking water and cooler working environments to help women manage their symptoms.

Beyond the workplace, she expressed concern over cultural misconceptions that sometimes lead to women experiencing menopausal symptoms being labelled as witches.

Such beliefs, she noted, could deepen their isolation and subject them to unnecessary emotional distress at a time when they need compassion and understanding.

“Let us understand and be supportive and help our mothers, our sisters and our colleagues at work go through menopausal transition and peri-menopause,” she appealed. Dr Bakari cautioned that organisations that failed to recognise the needs of women going through menopause risked losing valuable skills, experience and talent.

Community members who attended the programme

She urged employers and communities to create environments in which women could discuss their experiences openly and receive the support they needed without embarrassment or discrimination.

The emotional battle after a breast cancer diagnosis

While menopause presents its own challenges, a breast cancer diagnosis can trigger another difficult journey, one that extends beyond hospital visits and medical treatment to questions of emotional well-being, body image and returning to everyday life.

Dr Vida Badu Oppong, a psychologist, said psychological support should be available to breast cancer patients from the moment of diagnosis and continue through screening, treatment decisions, treatment and their eventual return to work. She argued that psychological care should not be introduced only when patients become overwhelmed by fear, anxiety or the emotional demands of their condition.

Dr Oppong called on organisations to establish employee assistance programmes that give workers access to psychologists and other appropriate support services when dealing with health challenges. She said such programmes could help women manage the emotional effects of their conditions, rebuild their confidence and return to work more comfortably after treatment.

For employers, she added, supporting affected workers would also help retain the knowledge, experience and expertise they bring to their organisations. Her remarks reinforced the need to recognise that recovery from breast cancer is not solely a physical process, but one that can require sustained emotional and psychological care.

Early detection can save lives

Dr Annabel Amina Bawah, a gynaecologist, meanwhile, urged the public not to allow fear, stigma or misconceptions to delay the search for medical attention when unusual breast changes are detected. She encouraged both women and men to become familiar with their normal breast appearance and seek professional assessment when they notice unusual changes.

Although breast cancer occurs predominantly in women, Dr Bawah noted that men were also susceptible, accounting for about one per cent of cases. She encouraged regular breast self-awareness and examinations, explaining that recognising changes early could prompt timely medical assessment and improve the prospects of successful treatment. “Early detection of breast cancer is the key to managing breast cancer,” she said.

Dr Bawah stressed that treatment options were available in Ghana and cautioned against concealing symptoms or postponing medical care until the disease had progressed.

She also challenged the stigma faced by people diagnosed with breast cancer, emphasising that the condition was not contagious and that patients needed compassion rather than social exclusion.

For women who undergo mastectomy, the surgical removal of a breast, she said, the physical changes associated with treatment should never become grounds for questioning their dignity or worth.

“Treat them as normal people. If anything, pay special care to them because mentally they need support,” she said.

She urged families and communities to stand by affected persons throughout diagnosis and treatment, noting that emotional support could help them cope with the distress associated with the disease.

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