The day has finally arrived. ONE: How Men and Women Partner for Gender Equality, is available! And, you can be the first to get your copy here.
We’ve touched on the key strategies throughout this series – Heart, Story, Speak, and Work-Life – for male allies to engage with women leaders to support gender equality. There are great male allies out there that have shown us what good looks like, and we need to multiply our male allies. Those featured in ONE – and those you know – are not enough. We need more.
Positive peer pressure works. Spread the word to other potential male allies on the fringe, who want to help support women (but may not know how). For organizations looking to encourage male allyship, focus on what you will do to create positive change. If you do not have a male ally group, form one. If your organization has a women’s professional development group, invite men to participate. Men and women, get curious to learn from one another.
Organizations embracing male allies outperform those that do not. You are leaving money on the table if you are not facilitating male allyship. Becoming an ally is a journey. From our research, we found organizations with gender equality offer these best practices:
- A culture setting gender equality, inclusion, and diversity as a nonnegotiable belief, and acts as a basis for “fit” with the organization
- Goals to improve gender equality as a part of their strategic plan, with full transparency of statistics by gender for leadership roles and pay
- Women’s professional development groups that include male allies (and have a budget)
- Accountability for behaviors to support gender equality: heart, story, speak, and work-life
Call to Action
Our goal in writing ONE was to create a call to action for more male allies to engage with women for gender equality, and for more women to engage with male allies for support (personally and professionally). Men, if you believe in equal rights, it is time to step up. Channel the women you empathize, learn HERstories, speak up with them, and do the fair share. Be their mentor, sponsor, advocate, coach, advisor… whatever role that benefits them and is aligned with your strengths. Women, start the dialogue, share your story, speak up with men, and practice self-care. We’ll leave you with this Male Ally Challenge: share our mantra below on social media using hashtags #maleallies, #genderequality, #femaleadvocacy, #ONE, and #heforshe.
Our Mantra
I believe in gender equality. I believe women and men, partnering together for gender equality, is what is best for all humans. By collaborating together, we will improve the lives of future women leaders and girls who will grow up in a world where anything is possible. My voice matters. I make choices every day supporting gender equality. We are all in this together. I commit to supporting male allyship. We are stronger together. We are ONE.
To spread the word on the importance of male allies, post your stories and thoughts with these hashtags: #genderequality #ONE #heforshe #maleallies #femaleadvocacy.
Order your copy here and we will include a commemorative bookmark with our mantra for a limited time.