4 Actions Men Can Take to Be Better Allies to Women
Over the past several years, we’ve witnessed seismic shifts in how we work. Hybrid models, evolving cultural norms, greater diversity, and a broader push for belonging have reshaped the modern workplace in profound ways.
But while many of these changes have opened the door to more inclusive ways of working, one persistent reality remains: women (both cis and trans) continue to face inequities that deeply impact their experience, advancement, and sense of belonging — hindering their growth and eroding trust in workplace cultures.
For instance, a recent report by The Muse revealed that 41% of women surveyed felt discriminated against based on their gender during a job interview, and 42% encountered gender-biased or inappropriate questions during interviews. In other research conducted by the Pew Research Center, it was found that while women make up more than half of the college-educated workforce, only 11% of Fortune 500 company CEOs and 30% of Fortune 500 board members are women.
Creating a workplace where everyone experiences belonging and feels valued, heard, and safe requires all of us, especially men, to be part of the solution. Male allyship is not a buzzword. It is an active, ongoing practice that calls for courage, humility, and a deep commitment to inclusion.
In my work with leaders across sectors, I often hear from men: “I care deeply about this issue, but I’m not sure what to do.”
If this resonates, know that you’re not alone. To assist you going forward, here are four meaningful actions you can take to cultivate belonging and inclusion for women in the workplace:
Action #1: Interrupt Your Own Biases
We all hold biases.
Our biases are shaped by our lived experiences, upbringings, and societal messaging. The danger lies not in their existence, but in leaving them unexamined. Biases that are acknowledged can be unlearned. But that requires ongoing intention and practice.
When men take time to reflect on how gender bias shows up in their thoughts, behaviors, and decision making, they begin the important work of breaking cycles of inequity. (I note that this self-awareness is also the starting point of what I call Shift Leadership: leading with reflection, adaptability, and a commitment to embracing new ways of leading.)
So how can you make this happen?
- Take the gender-focused tests created by Harvard’s Project Implicit, a resource that allows you to measure your level of unconscious bias. They will help you to identify and interrupt your gender biases.
- Pay attention to your behavioral patterns, including gendered decisions relating to who you give stretch opportunities to, who you offer sponsorship-focused guidance to, and the quality of feedback you provide team members.
- Intentionally work with more women. Oftentimes we don’t realize that our unconscious biases are causing us to unknowingly avoid working with groups of people. Being mindful about working with team members across genders will help you to be more inclusive.
Action #2: Use Your Voice to Name Gender Inequities
Male leaders and colleagues hold power. How that power is used can either uphold or dismantle inequities.
As a man and ally, naming the inequities you observe — e.g. when a woman is interrupted, overlooked, or held to a different standard — is one of the most powerful actions you can take. It creates a ripple effect: it signals to others that inequities will no longer be normalized, and it helps create a culture where all identities are respected and valued.
This might sound like:
- “Before we continue on, I noticed that Saira wasn’t able to fully share her insightful thoughts. Saira, I’d love for you to keep going so that we can hear your full point.”
- “I think we should give this stretch assignment to Neena instead. We want to ensure that we’re distributing these types of opportunities more broadly, including across genders.”
- “I want to recognize the excellent contributions Mya made on this project. Her great insights shaped the outcome.”
When allies speak up, especially in rooms where women are absent, they help shift culture in a lasting way.
Action #3: Script Your Conversations in Advance
When we find ourselves in awkward or emotionally charged conversations, our discomfort can often result in us saying nothing, retreating, or deflecting. This is why scripting — planning in advance what we want to say in particular situations — is such a powerful tool in allyship.
As I share in my book We’ve Got This, scripting helps us avoid staying silent or saying the wrong thing, and it empowers us to communicate with clarity and impact. As a male ally, scripting is a powerful tool you can use to both interrupt gender inequities and support the advancement of women.
Here are a few examples of what this might look like:
- When offering allyship and support: “I noticed that, again, you were interrupted while speaking at our team meeting, and I wanted to check in with you. I’m so sorry this keeps happening. I want to prevent this from occurring again, and so I’m going to raise this with X. But I also wanted to ask you, what would help you to feel more supported during our team meetings?”
- When calling out gender biases in, for example, talent calibration meetings: “I’m noticing a pattern here — that for the same behavior, we seem to be rewarding male managers while penalizing female managers. We need to address this.”
- When visibly advocating for gender equity: “Our leadership ranks need to reflect greater gender diversity. We must actively work to address the inequities that are preventing excellent women from advancing into leadership roles.”
Scripting is about leading with care and courage. The more you create scripts to help you be vocal as an ally, the easier it becomes to be a champion for gender inclusion.
Action #4: Actively Advocate for Women Colleagues
Allyship is about taking action — it’s about impactfully using your influence to amplify the voices, profiles, and potential of women colleagues.
As a male ally, you want to reflect on ways in which you can make this happen for women team members and colleagues. Ask yourself… how can I:
- Increasingly sing the praises of the women on my team?
- Ensure that women team members are being credited for their excellence and accomplishments on projects?
- Better distribute stretch assignments across genders on my team?
- More readily give out the names of women team members for profile-building opportunities
Actively recommending women for career-changing experiences and advocating for their inclusion are powerful ways to advance gender equity — which is why taking action as an ally is so important.
As you’ll have observed, these four key actions underscore a key takeaway: allyship for women means showing up every day with intention — intention to interrupt biases, speak up against inequities, and take meaningful action.
If we want to cultivate workplaces where women can access equal opportunities, thrive in their careers, and experience heightened belonging, we need men to serve as greater allies.
When men interrupt their own biases, call out inequities, impactfully use their voices, and actively advocate, they help create workplaces where women prosper.
Let’s keep doing the work. Together.
Do our words resonate with you? We would love to hear from you! Please send us a message through our Contact Us page, LinkedIn, or Instagram.
Reach out to the bci team here to learn more about our range of programming on fostering allyship and belonging in the workplace.
- Blogs:
- How to Step Up Your Allyship for Transgender Colleagues at Work
- Do No Harm — 3 Nonverbal Microaggressions to Eliminate
- Why Being an Effective Ally in the Workplace is More Important Than Ever
- 5 Steps for Creating Belonging in the Workplace
- Your Core Wisdom Will Make You a More Empathetic Leader and Team Member
- Why Minimization Is the Enemy of Belonging in the Workplace
- Tip Sheets:
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