In a groundbreaking interview, certified fertility health coach Ola Taiwo has emerged as a powerful voice championing fertility awareness within Nigerian workplaces. As a global fertility advocate and host of Fertility Conversations, Taiwo is dedicated to raising awareness about infertility and exploring alternative paths to parenthood.
The Silent Struggle in Nigerian Workplaces
Across Nigeria and throughout Africa, infertility remains a deeply personal and often hidden battle. Behind professional exteriors, countless employees silently manage early morning medical scans, cope with hormonal side effects, and endure emotional exhaustion while maintaining workplace performance.
According to World Health Organization statistics, one in six people globally experiences infertility at some point in their lives. This means nearly every workplace likely has someone quietly navigating this challenge, potentially using sick days for fertility appointments or concealing physical evidence of treatment during meetings.
The Heavy Burden on Employees
Infertility extends beyond medical diagnosis to become an emotional and social reality affecting every aspect of life, including professional performance. Employees undergoing fertility treatment often face demanding medical schedules requiring multiple weekly appointments for bloodwork, scans, and procedures that cannot be postponed.
Many are forced to utilize annual leave or take unpaid days off due to the absence of formal policies addressing their situation. Others choose silence, fearing disclosure might label them as less committed to their careers. Women particularly face overwhelming pressure managing intense treatment cycles alongside workplace expectations, while men bear the emotional toll of supporting partners while navigating personal feelings of loss.
Building Fertility-Friendly Work Environments
Creating supportive workplaces begins with fundamental understanding. Managers and HR professionals need recognition that employees undergoing fertility treatment seek not special privileges but basic compassion and flexibility. Simple accommodations like few hours off for medical scans or remote work options during treatment cycles can significantly impact employee wellbeing.
Globally, progressive organizations now offer Fertility Leave—paid or flexible time off for individuals undergoing IVF, IUI, or egg freezing procedures. Others implement training programs helping managers respond sensitively when employees disclose fertility challenges.
Nigeria and other African nations can initiate meaningful progress through education and empathy, even without formal legislation. Everyday sensitivity proves crucial in transforming workplace culture.
Beyond medical leave, true inclusivity requires mindfulness about workplace events that might unintentionally exclude individuals trying to conceive. Activities like Children's Day at Work or Family Day celebrations, while joyful for many, can cause pain for those experiencing infertility or loss.
Redesigning such events as Loved Ones Day or Community Day allows broader participation, whether employees bring children, friends, or parents. Inclusivity focuses not on removing joy but ensuring everyone feels acknowledged.
Similarly, casual comments like When will you have yours? or You're next!—though seemingly harmless—can reopen deep emotional wounds. Fertility awareness training helps staff recognize these microaggressions and replace them with empathetic responses.
Practical Steps Toward Change
Establishing fertility-friendly workplaces doesn't require complex overhauls. Simple, intentional changes can create significant impact:
Encourage open dialogue acknowledging fertility struggles and pregnancy loss as legitimate wellbeing concerns. Incorporate fertility considerations into HR policies through flexible working hours or compassionate leave for treatments and recovery.
Organize workplace Fertility Awareness Days or educational talks in partnership with advocates like Fertility Conversations to break societal silence. Provide mental health support through counseling services or employee assistance programs.
Plan inclusive celebrations using language that acknowledges diverse life paths. These organizational shifts not only support employees emotionally but strengthen companies through improved morale, loyalty, and retention.
People perform better when they feel valued and understood. The fundamental imperative remains showing empathy toward women with fertility issues beyond policy implementation.
Ultimately, fertility-friendly workplaces create environments where employees don't face choosing between career aspirations and family-building dreams. Supporting staff through infertility, loss, or alternative parenthood paths represents not just sound HR practice but fundamental humanity in action.
When workplaces make space for fertility conversations, they reduce stigma, foster compassion, and remind individuals they're not alone. Behind every employee exists a story we might not see—and when organizations accommodate those narratives, they transform from mere workplaces into communities of care, growth, and hope.
