The Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation has partnered with the ladies of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) to turn this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD) commemoration into a powerful conversation on women’s health, invisible disabilities and workplace inclusion.
Hosted under the GRA Ladies’ “Give to Gain” IWD celebrations, the collaboration formed part of Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation’s flagship Lupus Awareness Campaign, which advocates for better understanding and support for people living with autoimmune diseases in Ghana.
During the event, Executive Director of Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation, Madam Emma Halm, delivered an engaging session using lupus as a prototype for autoimmune diseases, explaining how symptoms such as brain fog, memory loss and fatigue can quietly erode staff performance and safety if left unrecognized.
She emphasized that these “invisible” conditions often strike women in their most productive years, turning a personal health struggle into a broader economic and workplace challenge.
“Imagine the potential errors a revenue officer could make while battling lupus‑related confusion or exhaustion,” she noted, calling on institutions to see autoimmune awareness as a matter of social justice, productivity and women’s empowerment. She further highlighted how stigma at work can intensify stress and trigger disease flare‑ups, underscoring the need for empathy, reasonable accommodation and supportive policies.
GRA leadership, through an appreciation message signed by Deputy Commissioner for Human Resource, Amma Randolph, commended the Foundation for an enlightening and thought‑provoking engagement that broadened staff understanding of complex health issues affecting women and reinforced the importance of early diagnosis and access to quality care. The Authority noted that the session enriched internal conversations on employee welfare and the social dimensions of health within the public service.
The partnership advances several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By promoting health literacy and timely care for autoimmune diseases, the programme contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well‑Being). By centring women, challenging stigma and protecting their ability to work and lead, it supports SDG 5 (Gender Equality) And by strengthening human capital and fostering an inclusive, innovation‑ready workplace culture in a key national revenue institution, it aligns with SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure) through more resilient and people‑centred systems.
As Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation continues its mission to make lupus “visible, known and understood,” the GRA collaboration stands as a practical model for how corporate institutions and NGOs can work together beyond IWD to safeguard the health and socio‑economic contributions of women in the workforce.
For more information about Oyemam Autoimmune Foundation and its Lupus Awareness Campaign, visit www.oyemam.org or follow the conversation via #PutAutoimmunityOnNationalAgenda and #oyemamautoimmune #IWD2026
