10 ways men can be better allies to women in the workplace
I attended the 'March 4 Justice' rally today in Melbourne, as part of a co ordinated series across Australia. They were organised following a number of shocking alleged sexual assaults were reported involving senior politicians and their staff on young female employees in Canberra, our nation's capital.
Of course, what we want most is an end to sexual assault and harassment in the workplace. So if you're a man who doesn't do this, do you get a gold star?
No, no you don't get a gold star mate. Simply not being a rapist doesn't mean you can pat yourself on the back and put your feet up, there is plenty more you can do to ensure women get a fair go at work.
I came home from the rally and started furiously jotting down all the things men can do to better advocate for us. This is not the exhaustive list, but is a start. Here goes......
If you manage a team, compare the salaries of the men and women in that team. If there is a gap, work with your HRBP to close it.
If a woman is talked over or interrupted by a man in a meeting, call it out and give the space back to the woman that was interrupted. Eg ‘You were just interrupted; would you like to finish what you were saying?’
Similarly, if a man repeats an idea suggested by a woman as his own original idea, call that out by saying ‘that’s a good summary of the idea that was just raised by x.’
Stop being a bystander to sexist behaviour. The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. Tell the office creeps they need to pull their heads in. Men are more likely to listen to other men than a woman. Use your privilege to speak up for us.
If a female colleague tells you she has been harassed or assaulted in the workplace, believe her.
If a female discloses inappropriate behaviour, harassment or assault to you, don’t insist she report it. There are a number of reasons a woman doesn't want to report, one main one being; reporting is very unlikely to result in consequences for the male perpetrator. It almost always, however, has severe ramifications for the woman. Speaking up about assault is a known career killer. Pressuring a woman to report an incident is naïve and unhelpful.
If you are invited to speak at a conference, ask the organisers if at least 50% of the speakers will be women and whether they will be paid the same as male speakers. Do not participate in events that don't meet this criteria.
If you are hiring, ask your recruiter to ensure any candidate shortlist contains 50% female CVs. Studies show that once women get shortlisted they are more likely to get hired.
Do your googles! Do not expect women in your workplace to educate you on gender issues. There is a plethora of information available for free, and hey you could even go all out and read some books.
Refrain from asking women to do labour in the office that is not part of their job description: eg taking minutes, unpack dishwashers, organise team events, morning teas... and so on and so forth.
Thanks for reading, and next week there might be another 10 (I have a pretty long list).
Tash