Ferda Ataman, the Federal Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination, is pushing for measures to combat discrimination affecting women during menopause. The Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency recently presented specific action recommendations on Tuesday designed to ensure that menopause is handled without discrimination.
Approximately eleven million women in Germany are currently experiencing this life stage, and the agency points out that one in three of them reports facing significant occupational stress. Despite this reality, the Agency noted that menopausal symptoms and their impact on daily life and professional careers remain largely tabooed.
Ataman emphasized that menopause must be pulled out of this “taboo zone,” asserting that it is not merely an individual problem that every woman must manage alone. She highlighted that women often work in essential sectors such as education, healthcare, and gastronomy-fields the society relies upon-and called for comprehensive health care along with an open, non-stigmatizing approach to menopause in the workplace.
The core recommendations put forth by the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency include improving overall healthcare provision, developing a National Menopause Strategy, and establishing workplaces that are genuinely accommodating to women going through menopause. Furthermore, the agency suggests launching a nationwide public awareness campaign to demystify the topic and significantly boosting research into menopausal health. To prevent unfair disadvantages, the recommendations also call for strengthening existing anti-discrimination protections.
