Men As Allies Of Female Leaders

By Marsha Koelmel

Co-President of Catapult

In THIS BLOG entitled Creating a Workplace Where Women Can Thrive, we shared powerful suggestions for how both men and women can act as allies for other women. This topic continues to be incredibly important as professional women work to regain the progress toward gender equity in the workplace that they lost as a result of the pandemic.

Consider that evidence shows that when men are deliberately engaged in gender inclusion programs, 96% of organizations see progress. That’s compared to only 30% of organizations where men are not engaged. But today, too many organizations still miss the mark on gender equity efforts by focusing gender initiatives solely on changing women, from the way they network to the way they lead.

Individualistic approaches to solving gender inequities overlook systemic structural causes and reinforce the perception that these are women’s issues. This effectively tells men they don’t need to be involved. Without the avid support of men – often the most powerful stakeholders in most large corporations – significant progress toward ending gender disparities is unlikely.

Harvard Business Review: How Men Can Become Better Allies to Women by W. Brad Johnson and David G. Smith

Gender equity in the workplace is not inevitable. It requires everyone’s bold commitment to advance women in all industries, at every level and across our community.

The next great, local female leader could be you, your family member or your friend. For professional women to rise above the setbacks caused by the pandemic, it will take all local leaders – both female and male – to join together.

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