Tips for being a male ally at work

The role of male allies in the workplace

Violence against women is a crisis in Australia.

This crisis is preventable – but it requires everyone in the country to step up and play their part, including men.

The majority of men in our communities want to do the right thing, but may not know where to start.

To drive meaningful change, men need to join the movement and help build a world that is fair, inclusive and safe for everyone.

And that can begin with understanding your role as an ally in the movement to end violence against women.

What is an ally?

An ally is someone who uses their position of privilege to support people who are marginalised or discriminated against in some way.

An important thing to remember is that allyship is a journey, not a destination. As male allies who want to be part of the national movement to end violence against women, it is crucial that we listen to the voices of women who are leaders in this space. Being an ally requires constant self-reflection and an ongoing commitment to learning.

In workplaces, being an ally can involve looking at the systemic and cultural barriers that exist and finding ways that you can use your own power in the workplace to help dismantle those barriers.

These barriers might impact women, LGBTQIA+ people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, or any other group. Part of being an ally is learning how to use an intersectional approach to make your workplace safer for all kinds of people.

Why is it important for men to be allies?

Inequality is a societal problem that impacts everyone.

In the case of gender inequality, it’s not the responsibility of women and people of other marginalised genders to fix – it’s essential that men are part of the solution.

Men have a responsibility to help change systemic and cultural issues that lead to issues like sexual harassment in workplaces and violence against women more broadly.

Showing up as an ally benefits everyone

One of the drivers of violence against women is rigid gender stereotypes.

Gender stereotypes influence how we behave as individuals and how we perceive the world. They can impact our views about things like women’s caring responsibilities and men’s leadership.

They can also pressure individual men to 'be a real man' and act a certain way.

Those pressures can be reinforced by workplace policies and structures.

For example, some workplace policies mean male employees can’t be as involved in raising their children, because they are unable to work fewer days per week, or work hours that allow them to do the school pickup.

Or they may not be able to take time off to care for sick or elderly parents, because their workplace doesn’t give them the flexibility they require.

The same structures that impact men and prevent them taking on more caring responsibilities also significantly impact women by impacting their career trajectories.

So when male allies challenge gender stereotypes and advocate for more flexible working policies, they are helping create positive outcomes for everyone in their business.

6 tips for male allies

1. Be ready for deep reflection

We can’t create social change without some level of personal change – and that requires courage and an open mind.

It means taking the time to understand issues like the drivers of violence against women.

It also means listening to the voices of women, LGBTQIA+ people, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disabilities, and others.

Like me, you might find times when your beliefs or behaviours are challenged. You may need to confront the fact that you’ve not always been a ‘perfect’ ally, but that is an important part of understanding how we can be better allies and help create change.

2. Avoid 'White Knight Syndrome'

You may feel like you need to step in and 'fix things', but that is not a useful way to approach allyship.

A better approach is being ready to listen to, support and amplify women and other marginalised people in your workplace.

An example of this could be in meetings – if you notice that women, or people from other diverse groups, aren’t speaking up, think about how you can change the structure of your meetings to give them more opportunities to share their ideas.

Consult with them about what will work best. They might suggest options like sharing ideas in writing before a meeting, or having time in the agenda to ask questions.

Everyone will have different preferences, which is why it is important to listen and learn before taking action.

3. Look for opportunities to champion gender equality in every part of the business

You don’t have to have a formal leadership position to make a difference in your business.

You can start by looking at the policies and procedures you work with everyday using a gender lens.

For example, if you work in recruitment, you might update your procedures to make sure there are gender-balanced interview panels. Small changes like that can have a real impact and lead to tangible outcomes around gender pay gaps in certain roles or gender balance across the business.

4. Allyship includes being an active bystander

You can also play your role in creating a more respectful workplace culture for everyone.

That can mean being an active bystander who speaks up when you hear inappropriate jokes or 'locker room talk'.

Being an active bystander can also include checking in with somebody if they were a target of sexism or disrespect. Let them know that kind of behaviour is not acceptable and that you will support them if they want to make a formal complaint.

5. View allyship as part of your professional development

You may feel like being an ally is a lot of extra work, but it’s important to remember that being an ally should be business as usual.

Creating safe and respectful workplaces is everybody’s responsibility, and will have a positive impact on business outcomes like productivity and performance.

Make time to listen and learn as part of your personal and professional development.

Block out time to read articles or listen to Ted Talks that explore the experiences of women and other marginalised groups.

Here are some to get you started:

• Ted Talk: Robin Hauser – The likability dilemma for women leaders

• Tedx Talk: Laura Bates – Everyday sexism

• The Hollywood Reporter: Hannah Gadsby ‘The Good Men’ & Misogyny

Take the time to understand the statistics on rates of sexual harassment in your industry.

Once you start viewing this work as business as usual, you will also be able to identify more opportunities to support others and make change.

The impact of allies in the workplace

Diverse and inclusive workplaces mean that employees feel safe to be themselves, which has tangible benefits for businesses.

Research shows that increased diversity in decision-making leads to better performance outcomes for businesses.

Increased wellbeing for staff leads to better productivity.

And businesses that have a reputation for being fair, inclusive and respectful attract better talent and customer loyalty.

How can the Our Watch Institute help men become allies in the workplace?

Ending violence against women in Australia will require meaningful change in every part of our society – including our workplaces.

Those changes aren’t just the responsibility of human resources teams or diversity, equity and inclusion groups. Everyone in your business will play a role in this work.

The Our Watch Institute offers tailored support, so no matter where your business is in its gender equality journey, you will receive the help you need.

We can offer:

• senior and executive leadership training

• policy reviews and recommendations

• staff surveys and data collection

• all staff training and development

• allyship programs

• ongoing support and change management consulting.

Reach out by emailing us  to find out how we can partner with your workplace today.