Political allies have joined forces throughout history to defeat common enemies and liberate people. Why? Because we recognize that we are better together. Allies are likewise necessary to the workplace as we work together to support people who are underrepresented so that everyone has equal opportunities.

An ally is someone who is not a member of an underrepresented group but who takes action to support that group. Men can be allies by taking action to support women. Male allies use their power - their credibility, influence, and network - to support women. And every time a male ally takes this action, his workplace becomes a more inclusive and equitable place to work.

According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, when men show up as allies by proactively supporting women, 96% of their organizations see progress towards greater gender equality as compared to only 30% of all other organizations. Clearly, male allies can make an impact. 

If you want to be a male ally but you aren’t sure how to get started, we have six ways for you to start making impact today.

Male Allies Should Advocate for Women

Women are not always seen, heard, and top of mind when it comes to promotions and other advancement opportunities. Male allies can make a difference for these women and their organizations. Look around your organization for women who may be overlooked and advocate for them.

Talk to women about their career aspirations and get to know who they are and how their background and skills can enhance your organization. Then, keep your eyes open for opportunities that will help these women stretch and grow, and advocate for them to fill those roles.

Not only will women benefit by being advanced, but your organization will benefit from greater diversity in leadership roles.

Male Allies Should Amplify Women’s Ideas

Multiple studies show that women are interrupted more frequently than men during meetings and calls, or don’t receive credit for their ideas. Male allies can intervene by repeating the idea and giving her credit: “I agree with Mary’s idea about how to reduce cost by doing XYZ.” 

If a woman is interrupted during a meeting, redirect the conversation back to : “Judith, I think you were interrupted a moment ago. Can you continue your thoughts?”

Finally, make sure that everyone feels included in the conversation so that all ideas are heard: “Does anyone else have ideas to share about how to reduce cost?”

Male Allies Should Educate Themselves About Bias

Bias runs counter to our first impressions and our “gut” feeling so bias can be hard to detect unless you look for it. We form first impressions in less than .1 of a second, and our first impressions are often wrong.

You can take a fast, free, online assessment -  the Harvard Implicit Bias test - to measure your own unconscious bias. Each test will take you no more than 20 minutes, and you can assess your bias based on gender, race, age, religion, and more.

You should also read books, listen to podcasts, and engage in other learning activities. You can start by tuning into the Parity Podcast on Apple, Spotify, and other places you listen to podcasts. We also have several books that we recommend you read [link to book article here].

Male Allies Should Speak Up When They See Bias

We need male allies to speak up to disrupt bias. Speak up if you witness behavior that is belittling or offensive whether the inappropriate behavior is directed to a woman or someone else.

Diffuse situations if you suspect that a woman is being bullied or harassed, and then check in with her privately to make sure she is okay. When you check in with her, ask if she wants you to take any other action to support her.

Social media is another space where bias often shows up. In response to social media trolls who make biased comments on well-intentioned posts, call out the bias.

Male Allies Should Be Open to the Possibility of Bias

We need women to speak up when they experience bias so that behaviors can change. If women never talk about gender bias, then the problem will persist.

Too often when women muster up the courage to talk about their experience with bias, they are shut down and their experiences are discounted. For someone who has not experienced bias, or at least was unaware of the experience, talking about bias can be difficult.

Even if male allies haven’t personally experienced bias, be open to the possibility that bias did occur in conversations with women about gender bias. If a woman trusts you enough to share her experience with bias, be curious about her experience and show empathy by being an active listener and asking questions.

By engaging in these conversations, male allies will learn more about bias and over time, be able to make positive impact for women in the workplace. You can learn more by listening to How to Have Tough Conversations at Work.

Male Allies Should Learn About Intersectionality

There are many types of biases based not only on gender, but also in connection with race, age, sexual identity and more. Understanding gender bias is a first step towards gender equality in the workplace, but male allies should also educate themselves about additional biases faced by women with intersectional identities.

Male allies should learn about the intersectional experience of women who are Black or Brown, members of the LGBTQA+ community, among the youngest or oldest segments of their profession, or those women with disabilities. These women, and others who have facets of their make-up which are not in the majority, face biases not only due to their gender, but also as a result of their race and other factors.

All Men Can Be An Ally

You can learn more about how to be an ally by reading Better Allies by Karen Catlin. As she recently said,

There are many opportunities in every workplace to listen, learn, and take action as allies. It’s truly something anyone can do.

Join Us

The Parity Podcast was founded by Cathy Nestrick and Deborah Pollack-Milgate. Cathy is a former law partner and General Counsel of a Fortune 500 company. Deborah is a partner at Barnes and Thornburg, practicing IP and commercial litigation. Both are committed to accelerating gender parity through the Parity Prescription. We are happy to talk to you and your organization about how we can work together to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace. You can learn more about our work at www.par-ity.com and you can reach us at CathyandDeborah@par-ity.com.