Paul Sesay is the founder of Inclusive Companies, an organisation that help businesses become more inclusive. They carry out D&I work across the UK, with the corporate and public sectors and communities as a whole. He is also the founder of the National Diversity Awards, which reward community organisations, and the Excellence in Diversity Awards, recognising companies which promote and foster inclusion at high levels.
“My interest in menopause began when my wife was perimenopausal. She went through a horrendous time and didn’t know what was really going on. I felt very helpless and didn’t know what to do or how to help. At the time I didn’t know anything about menopause myself.
“But I did want to learn, and we arranged a webinar for our members through Henpicked: Menopause in the Workplace. From there, I was invited to join the Menopause Friendly Independent Panel, something I was delighted to accept.
Taking real action
“I really want to make a difference in the world through action, not just policies and procedures, but direct activity which can help people. This is another reason I was keen to join the Panel, as I’d seen how they encourage companies to think creatively about how best to help their people, which aligned perfectly with my own way of thinking.
“We have definitely seen a shift in attitudes and a jump in how workplaces are offering support. In submissions now, we’re seeing not just policies being written but fully implemented, easy for women to navigate and for managers and allies to understand how they can help. We’re also seeing a welcome embracing of diversity across gender expressions and understanding of how menopause can differently impact depending on ethnicity, race and culture.
“Another big shift is that menopause certainly wasn’t being discussed in government a few years ago – it’s hugely reassuring that it’s been taken on board at such a high level.
One person is all it takes…
“In my work with the Independent Panel, I’ve noticed that often is takes just one person to get the drumbeat started. One passionate person who’s used their initiative to get things moving, started a conversation with a senior team and driven it to a point of menopause conversations and support becoming embedded across the whole organisation. Not just for women to know about, but every single person in the business.
