Gender equality is a fundamental human right and a critical component of a thriving, inclusive workplace. While significant strides have been made towards gender equality, there is still much work to be done, particularly in addressing the systemic barriers that women face in the workplace. Men play a crucial role in this journey. By actively supporting gender equality, men can help create a more equitable and inclusive environment for everyone. This article explores 10 practical ideas for men to promote gender equality in the workplace, originally conceived by Lucy Wark, and how they can make a meaningful impact.
1. Understanding the Triple Burden
What It Means
The 'triple burden' refers to the threefold challenges women often face in the workplace: experiencing the psychological impacts of sexist behaviour, risking retaliation and career consequences by calling it out, and spending relationship capital/time/energy driving organisational change.
What You Can Do
Men can intervene at each of these levels. Be proactive in responding to everyday sexism, support others in reporting it when you see it, and offer your support to workplace gender equality initiatives.
If you witness sexist comments or behaviours, call them out respectfully and support colleagues who may be affected by them.
2. Embracing Intersectionality
What It Means
Gender does not exist in isolation. Women face distinct and more extreme forms of discrimination where gender intersects with other parts of identity, such as race, cultural or linguistic diversity, sexuality, and disability.
What You Can Do
When trying to understand the experiences of women in your workplace, ask questions and listen. Do not assume everyone has the same experience.
Engage in conversations with diverse female colleagues to understand their unique challenges and perspectives.
3. Addressing the Double Shift
What It Means
Many women work a full shift of paid labour at work and then go home to do a full shift of unpaid labour in housework, childcare, eldercare, and other responsibilities.
What You Can Do
Do your fair share at home and advocate for gender-equal family leave policies at work.
Share household responsibilities equally with your partner and support policies that provide equal parental leave for all employees.
4. Unconscious Bias and Double Standards
What It Means
Unintentional and automatic mental associations based on gender often feed into quick assessments of individuals according to gender stereotypes.
What You Can Do
Assess your own biases with compassion and curiosity. Start by becoming aware of gendered assumptions and work on unlearning them.
Reflect on whether you evaluate male and female colleagues differently for the same behaviours, such as confidence or assertiveness.
5. Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
What It Means
Diversity means who is represented in the workplace, equity means fair treatment for all people, and inclusion means all employees feel equally heard and able to flourish.
What You Can Do
Think about whether all team members are treated equitably and feel included, beyond just having a diverse demographic mix.
Advocate for DEI initiatives that ensure all employees have equal opportunities for growth and development.
6. Combating Sexual Harassment and Sex-Based Harassment
What It Means
Workplace sexual harassment is common and widespread, occurring in every industry and at every level within organisations.
What You Can Do
Pause and reflect before you speak or act. Ensure that your behaviour is appropriate for the workplace and respectful of all individuals.
If you witness harassment, report it and support the person affected. Educate yourself about the signs of harassment and how to address them.
7. Being a Bystander or an Ally
What It Means
Transitioning from being a bystander to being an ally involves educating yourself about gender issues, learning and practising ways to intervene in the moment, and playing a role in prevention.
What You Can Do
Start by reading guides on how to be an ally and think about how you might take more action to respond within your workplace.
Attend training sessions on bystander intervention and practice speaking up when you witness inappropriate behaviour.
8. Upholding the ‘Standard You Walk Past’
What It Means
Recognise your power to set the tone with your behaviour. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.
What You Can Do
Hold yourself and others to a high standard of behaviour. Share experiences where you could have done better to give others permission to reflect and grow.
Lead by example in maintaining respectful and inclusive behaviour and encourage others to do the same.
9. Addressing “Women’s Issues”
What It Means
Viewing gender equality as a problem that only affects women and should only be fought by women is counterproductive.
What You Can Do
Realise that gender equality benefits everyone and is everyone’s responsibility. Contribute to the change using your sphere of influence.
Participate in gender equality initiatives and discussions, and support your female colleagues in their efforts.
10. Striving for Progress, Not Perfection
What It Means
It’s common to fear saying the wrong thing or not knowing your role in promoting gender equality. However, effort matters, and progress comes from taking action.
What You Can Do
Inform yourself and start by committing to small actions. Don’t let the fear of making mistakes stop you from making progress.
Educate yourself on gender equality issues and take consistent, small steps towards creating a more inclusive workplace.
The Path Forward
Promoting gender equality in the workplace is not only the right thing to do but also beneficial for creating a more inclusive and productive environment. Men have a crucial role to play in this journey. By understanding the challenges women face, addressing unconscious biases, advocating for inclusive policies, and supporting your female colleagues, you can make a significant impact.
Let's continue to advocate for gender equality and support initiatives that promote transparency, flexibility, and inclusivity in the workplace. Together, we can create a future where everyone, regardless of gender, has equal opportunities to thrive.
Resources
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Acknowledgements
The ideas presented in this article are based on the work of Lucy Wark, co-founder at Fuzzy. You can read more about Lucy’s work and access her original guide on gender equality for men in the workplace.