Andrea Berchowitz: The link between menopause and gender inequity at work | TED

Transcriber:

Prevodilac: Isidora Spasojević Lektor: Ivana Korom

Od 500 najvećih američkih kompanija, samo 42 imaju žene kao izvršne direktore.

A ako pogledate druge zemlje,

dolazite do sličnih, ili, ponekad, još gorih podataka.

Of America's 500 largest companies, only 42 have female CEOs.

Naravno, tu je mnogo faktora

koji doprinose globalnoj nejednakosti polova na radnom mestu.

And if you look at other countries,

the data is similar, and in some cases, worse.

Ali, po meni, jedan faktor često ostaje neprepoznat,

And, of course, there are a number of factors

a to je menopauza.

contributing to global gender inequity in the workplace.

Na šta mislim?

But I believe that there is one factor often underecognized,

Mnoge žene će dostići visoke rukovodeće pozicije

u svojim 40. ili 50. godinama.

and that's menopause.

Prosečana starost izvršnih direktora su srednje 50.

So what do I mean?

Perimenopauza, ili prelazak u menopauzu,

Many women will rise into senior positions of leadership

se obično dešava između 45. i 55. godine života.

in their 40s or their 50s.

The average age of a CEO is mid-50s.

Tada zaista počinju simptomi,

Perimenopause, or the transition into menopause,

i mogu da traju i do 10 godina.

generally occurs also between 45 and 55.

Tek što žena počne da istupa i uzima stvar u svoje ruke,

zarađuje najviše što može,

And this is where the symptoms really start,

može da deluje kao da je telo izdaje.

and it can last up to 10 years.

So just as a woman is stepping up, taking the reins,

E sad, za sve koji ne znaju, a ispostavlja se da nas je mnogo --

ja sam, recimo, imala prvi razgovor sa svojom majkom o menopauzi

earning at her highest potential,

her body can feel like it's betraying her.

tek pre nekoliko godina --

Now, for anyone who doesn't know, which turns out to be many of us --

to je velika stvar.

I to nije važna stvar samo za žene preko 45 godina.

for me, I had my first conversation with my own mother about menopause

Nebinarne, transmaskuline i mlade žene,

in the last few years --

sve one će možda imati simptome menopauze.

it's a big deal.

And it's not just a big deal for women over 45.

Pa, koji su to simptomi?

Nonbinary, transmasculine and younger women

Mogu biti fizički,

npr. valunzi, bol u zglobovima, urinarna inkontinencija, obilne menstruacije.

may all cope with menopausal symptoms.

So what are these symptoms?

Mogu biti i mentalni: anksioznost, depresija,

They can be physical,

so that's hot flushes, joint pain, urinary incontinence, heavy periods.

periodi niskog samopouzdanja, problemi sa spavanjem.

Zamislite to -- 10 godina problema sa spavanjem.

They can also be mental: anxiety, depression,

Lista je duga i simptomi se mogu promeniti

bouts of low confidence, difficulty sleeping.

te nikada ne znate šta tačno da očekujete.

Imagine that -- 10 years of difficulty sleeping.

Ali nemojte se prevariti, simptomi su značajni.

The list is long and symptoms can change,

Toliko značajni da je u studiji, koju je Vodafon radio u pet zemalja,

so it means you never really know what to expect.

otkriveno da je 60 posto žena koje se nose sa simptomima menopauze,

But make no mistake: they are significant.

So significant, that in a study by Vodafone across five countries,

reklo da im to utiče na posao.

U drugoj studiji rađenoj u Velikoj Britaniji,

it found that 60 percent of women dealing with menopausal symptoms

30 procenata žena je reklo da su izostajale sa posla zbog simptoma.

said it impacted their work.

U ekstremnim slučajevima žene prave važne promene vezane za karijeru.

In another study in the UK,

30 percent of women said they missed work due to their symptoms.

Čak 11 procenata je propustilo priliku za napredovanje,

a čak osam procenata žena je napustilo svoju poziciju

And at the extremes, women are making serious choices about their careers.

zbog simptoma menopauze.

As many as 11 percent forewent a promotion opportunity,

Moja fascinacija ženskim liderstvom i očiglednim jazom među polovima

and as many as eight percent resigned from their positions

nastala je dok sam radila kao konsultant u kancelarijama širom sveta.

because of menopausal symptoms.

Za više od 10 godina rada, mogu na prste jedne ruke da nabrojim

My fascination with female leadership and the obvious gap

žene koje imaju preko 50 godina i nalaze se na izvršnim pozicijama.

began as a strategy consultant working in boardrooms around the world.

Nevažno da li pričamo o Sijetlu, Dubaiu, Lagosu ili Njujorku,

In over 10 years, I can count on one hand

the number of senior women over 50 in executive positions that I saw,

žene su bile retke pri vrhu.

Pogledala sam oko sebe i počela da preispitujem sistem čiji sam deo,

whether it was Seattle or Dubai, Lagos or upstate New York,

i da se pitam kakve prilike zaista postoje.

women were scarce at the top.

Žene koje su pri vrhu su izuzetne.

I started to look around and question the system I was in,

Kao da je lestvica previsoko postavljena.

wonder what opportunities really existed.

Počela sam da pričam sa mojim prijateljima i kolegama koji su u 40. i 50. godinama.

The women at the top were exceptional.

Pričali su o meni već poznatim temama: balansiranje ozbiljnog posla, tinejdžeri

The bar seemed almost too high to reach.

And so I started speaking to my friends and colleagues in their 40s and 50s.

i briga o roditeljima koji su u godinama.

Ali u par navrata, bliski prijatelji su se otvorili.

They talked about things I knew: balancing a serious job, teenagers

Pričali su o tome kako se njihova tela i umovi menjaju,

and caring for elderly parents.

o uticaju menopauze na brojna polja njihovih života,

But in a few instances, close friends opened up.

uključujući i na posao.

They talked about how their bodies and their minds were changing

U tom trenutku sam shvatila

ako želim da napravim promenu za žene na radnom mestu,

and the impact of menopause on many aspects of their lives,

tako da svi možemo da radimo onoliko dugo koliko želimo,

including work.

mora se poboljšati briga o menopauzi.

It was at that point that I realized

if I wanted to make a difference to women in the workplace

Verujem da radno mesto igra važnu ulogu

so we can all work as long as we want to,

u poboljšanju iskustva žena koje se bore sa simptomima menopauze.

it was to improve menopause care.

Možda će zvučati kliše, ali zaista sve počinje sa svesnošću o problemu.

I believe the workplace can play a major role

Zatim, to znači fizičko menjanje postavke naših kancelarija,

in improving the experience for women coping with menopausal symptoms.

promena očekivanja vezanih za radno mesto

And it might sound cliché, but it does start with awareness.

i ažuriranje zdravstvene zaštite.

And then it means changing the physical setup of our offices,

Prva stvar: svesnost.

S obzirom da praktično ništa ne učimo o menopauzi u školi,

resetting expectations around work culture

and updating health care policies.

u novinama, u pop kulturi,

So, first: awareness.

nemoguće je očekivati da čak i menadžeri koji imaju nabolje namere

Since we learn virtually nothing about menopause in school,

imaju ideju kako da podrže zaposlene.

in the news, in pop culture,

Mnoga društva stavljaju toliko pritiska na žene da treba da izgledaju mlado,

it's impossible to expect that even the most well-intentioned manager

would have a clue how to be supportive.

srećno i da odašilju dobru energiju sve vreme.

Sav taj trud koji se ulaže da se prikrije činjenica da prolazite

So many societies place so much pressure on women to appear young and happy

kroz prirodan proces starenja

je totalno trošenje vremena.

and vibrant all of the time.

U međuvremenu, dan žene koja prolazi kroz peri- ili postmenopauzu

All that effort put towards pretending that you're not going through

a natural process of aging

može se sastojati iz trčanja u toalet kako bi sačekala da nalet vrućine prođe,

is a complete waste of time.

traženje ubrusa za znoj koji se pojavio niotkuda,

Meanwhile, a day in the life of a peri- or postmenopausal woman

dok se svi ostali smrzavaju,

could be running to the bathroom to wait out a hot flush,

preskakanje sastanka ili slanje nekog drugog

jer je nalet anksioznosti učinio da pomislite da Vi ovo ne možete

looking for paper towels for perspiration that came out of nowhere

ili preskakanje celokupnog poslovng puta

when everyone else was freezing,

skipping a meeting or sending someone else,

jer su obilne menstruacije učinile izlazak iz kuće praktično nemogućim.

because a wave of anxiety made you feel like you couldn't cope

Jedan od načina da se podigne svest je da se diskusija odvija baš na radnom mestu.

or skipping a business trip altogether,

because heavy periods made leaving home virtually impossible.

Mnoge kompanije već nude trening programe

na teme poput različtosti i inkluzije,

One way to raise awareness is to bring the discussion right into the workplace.

protiv uznemiravanja,

diskusije o mentalnom zdravlju ili roditeljskom odsustvu.

Many companies already offer training programs

Hajde da normalizujemo razgovor o menopauzi,

on things like diversity and inclusion,

pozivanjem ljudi svih rodova i uzrasta

anti-harassment,

conversations on mental health or parental leave.

da shvate šta se događa u ovom prirodnom procesu starenja

Let's normalize conversation on menopause,

da bi onda mogli da pruže podršku.

inviting people of all genders and all ages

Sledeće je fizički izgled i očekivanja vezana za radno mesto.

to understand what's happening in this natural process of aging,

so people can learn how to be supportive.

Na primer, kancelarije otvorenog koncepta su katastrofa zbog mnogih razloga --

Next is the physical setup and expectations around work culture.

nemogućnost kontrole temperature,

nemanje vrata koja biste zatvorili kad imate nalet vrućine

For example, open-plan offices are a disaster for so many reasons,

ili kada vam treba momenat da se presaberete.

Naravno, ne možete da promenite izgled kancelarije preko noći.

not being able to control the temperature,

having no doors to close when you're having a hot flush

Ali verovatno postoje stvari koje možete uraditi

or need a moment to regroup.

bilo da su to ventilatori koji stoje na stolu, dostupnost menstrualnih proizvoda,

And, of course, you can't change an entire floor plan overnight.

dopustiti nekome da pomeri sto tako da ne bude toliko blizu radijatora,

But there probably are some things you can do,

ili postojanje nekoliko soba sa vratima koja možete da zatvorite

whether that's desk fans, availability of period products,

ako vam treba tren da se saberete.

letting someone move their desk from closest to the radiator

Sve su to dobre ideje.

U slučajevima gde žene nose uniforme na poslu,

or having a few rooms with a few doors that you can close

neka budu napravljene od tanjeg materijala

if you need a moment to regroup

koji bi bio prozračan ili koji bi upijao znoj.

are all good ideas.

Sve to može da uradi puno za ženin komfor

In situations where women wear uniforms at work,

kao i postojanje rezervnih uniformi

updating the cut to a thinner fabric,

ako je potrebno presvući se tokom dana.

making it more breathable or even sweat-wicking

Radnicima koji mogu da rade od kuće

can make a huge difference to a woman's comfort,

olakšaćete ako date primere šta mogu da kažu menadžeru

as well as having a few extra around,

if a quick change is required during the day.

kada se simptomi pogoršaju.

Na primer, „Zaista imam težak dan zbog mojih simptoma

For employees who can work remotely,

you can make it easier by giving examples of things to say to a manager

i to otežava da radim na najvišem nivou.″

when symptoms are out of control.

U slučajevima gde to nije moguće,

For example, "I'm having a really tough day due to my symptoms,

da se kaže nešto slično ovome:

and it's making it difficult for me to perform at my best in the office."

„Prijalo bi mi da pravim više kraćih pauza danas nego jednu dužu″

In cases where that's not possible,

ili „Samo trenutak -- imam nalet vrućine″

being able to say things like,

"I need to take a few more frequent breaks today rather than one long break,"

Iskreno verujem da će veća otvorenost u vezi sa ovom temom,

or "Hold on a second -- I'm having a hot flush."

kao i blagonaklonost kancelarije oko rasporeda ili češćih pauza,

I truly believe that more openness about this topic,

napraviti ogromnu razliku u zadržavanju žena na poslu

i pomoći im da napreduju do sledećeg nivoa.

as well as leniency from an office around scheduling or more frequent breaks

A onda imamo i zdravstvo,

koje je možda i najbitnije.

will make a huge difference to retaining women

U mnogim slučajevima

firma obezbeđuje delimičnu ili potpunu zdravstvenu zaštitu zaposlenima.

and getting them over that next promotion hurdle.

And then there's health care,

Tako da postoji šansa da se menopauza direktno uključi.

which is perhaps the most important.

Ženi može koristiti ako ima pristup pravim informacijama

In many cases,

a workplace will provide in-part or in-full health care to its employees.

o tome koje su opcije lečenja dostupne

So there's an opportunity to include menopause directly.

i koje lekare ili specijaliste bi želela da poseti.

It can benefit a woman to have access to real information

Bilo da su to ginekolozi, endokrinolozi,

doktori za karlično dno

about what treatment options are available

ili terapeuti.

and what doctors or specialists she may want to see,

Menopauza je izuzetno kompleksna i individualna stvar,

whether that's gynecologists, endocrinologists,

a pristup visoko kvalitetnom zdravstevnom osoblju

pelvic floor physios

or talk therapists.

koje može da vam prikaže opcije za lečenje,

Menopause is a highly complex and individualized situation,

i da vam pomogne da odlučite šta želite da uradite

je krucijalno.

and having access to high-quality health care providers

U mnogim slučajevima ili osiguranje pokriva ovo

that can talk you through your treatment options

ili nacionalni zdravstevni sistem ima ovu mogućnost,

and help you figure out what you want to do

ali može biti teško da se snađete

is critical.

i svi ti simptomi čine pronalazak pravog doktora vremenski zahtevnim

In many cases, insurance does cover this,

or national health systems do have this available,

i napornim.

Kao što imamo zdravstvene resurse

but it can be hard to navigate,

o tome šta očekivati kada treba da dobijemo dete i kako biti dobar roditelj,

and all of the symptoms make finding the right doctor time-consuming

trebaju nam bolji resursi koji će nam prikazati šta nas očekuje u perimenopauzi

and energy-draining.

Just as we have health care resources

kao i podrška kroz celu tu promenu.

for what to expect when you're having a child and how to be a great parent,

Svako radno okruženje je drugačije

we need better health care resources for what to expect in perimenopause

i neće sve kompanije imati isti pristup ka prihvatanju menopuze.

and support through the entire transition.

Ali u najmanju ruku,

podizanje svesti i pokazivanje prave empatije ne košta puno.

Every workplace is different,

and not all companies will have the same approach to becoming menopause friendly.

Samo ove godine, čuli smo mnoge korporacije kako daju saopštenja

But at the very least,

increasing awareness and demonstrating some real empathy can be low-cost.

da podržavaju žensko liderstvo -- i to je sjajno.

Trebaće mnogo usklađenog napora da bi se došlo do toga.

Just this year, we've heard several corporations make announcements

Ali koji je prvi korak?

about boosting female leadership at the top -- and that's great.

Ozbiljno razmisliti o menopauzi.

Hvala vam.

And it will take a lot of coordinated efforts to get there.

But what's the first step?

Getting serious about menopause.

Thank you.