The importance of men for the diversity
Men are needed in the job to create a balance between women. It’s not only a women’s issue. Worldwide data shows that among companies where men are actively involved in gender diversity, 96% report progress while in companies were men are not involved, only 30% show progress, says organisation Catalyst, one of the first global organisations to focus on advancing women in the workplace and approaching its 60th anniversary.
In 2012, the organization initiated MARC, Men Advocating Real Change initiative that has evolved into a global movement.
“As MARC has evolved into a global movement, we have continued to learn valuable lessons about how to build advocacy and effective gender partnership skills”, the organisations says.
It refers to recent research on interrupting sexism revealing that even very engaged men face barriers. And there is a huge gap between men’s willingness to act and their confidence in their ability to do so.
The majority of men (86%) say they are personally committed to interrupting sexist behaviours when they see them in the workplace, yet only 31% feel confident in their ability to do so, accois one of the soerding to the research.
“We also now know that without unpacking masculinity and examining the impact of archaic gender norms on men, we are unlikely to decrease zero-sum thinking and fully bring men on board.”
“Men need to know and feel that gender-equity work is inherently about them as opposed to being someone else’s issue. Only then will they be motivated to go beyond cheering on ‘the others’ from the sidelines and get involved in the more personal, nuanced work of advocating systemic and lasting change.”
On September 14, the organization is one of the speakers at the Women in IT Summit where moonshot.news the media sponsor. At this summit this conversation will continue this in more depth. Among points to consider are:
Stop:
- Framing gender equity as a “women’s issue”.
- Referring to “women and other minorities”.
- Debating the business case for diversity and inclusion. It’s insulting to those who are already marginalized and underrepresented.
Start:
- Extending invitations to men to join the gender equity conversation. Don’t assume they feel welcome.
- Acknowledging and exploring how men are impacted by masculine norms and how they can benefit when these norms are dismantled.
- Engaging in dialogue, not debate. Honest, courageous, non-blaming conversations where different perspectives can be shared are essential.
- Acknowledging that gender is complex and not limited to a binary.
- Accepting that all of us are more than our gender.
- Showing willingness to learn; don’t expect others to educate you or tell you what to do.
- Exploring the difference between allyship and advocacy.
- Proactively seeking opportunities to advance equity and inclusion.
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