“All men should be feminists. If men care about women’s rights, the world would be a better place. We are better off when women are empowered, it leads to a better society” - John Legend
As a passionate champion of gender equity, it is very heartening to hear men acknowledge the need for male champions in the women empowerment movement. It is no surprise that UN too launched the HeForShe movement, to garner support from men around the world to improve gender equality. But do we have enough men in corporates that recognize the existence of second generation bias against women, stereotypical gender norms and the need for inclusivity at workplace? Do men understand that gender bilingualism is not about screaming feminism? Do women realize that one doesn’t have to be anti-man to be pro-woman?
Well, as an educator facilitating workshops that focus on having more women in the leadership pipeline, the biggest lesson I have learnt is the pertinence of engaging men as change agents instead of alienating them, so as to create a gender balanced organization. And this attempt to make men allies calls not just for individual changes but an enterprise wide culture change of dealing with ambiguous paradoxes of contemporary social change. But then, why should men in corporates care about women rights or empowerment?
Mostly, because it makes business sense. Because we are still using decimal points to depict progress in the percentage of women on corporate boards and in C-suite roles. A McKinsey study ‘Diversity Matters’ that studied 366 public companies across different industries reveals that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity are 15 percent more likely to have financial returns above their respective national industry medians.
Yet another study by McKinsey titled ‘The power of parity” states that women’s equality in the workplace can push global business growth by $12 trillion!
The report also says that India has a larger relative economic value at stake from advancing equality than any of the 10 regions analyzed in the study. Years of socio-economic research clearly proves that mainstreaming gender diversity in organizations can help fuel creativity, innovation and growth.
But, how do we help men help gender mainstreaming?
1. Explore 'What is in it for them?': Challenge the ‘Zero-Sum mentality’, a belief that if one gender wins, the other loses. Only when men start seeing that it’s not a war out there and that all genders win because of gender equity, will they contribute. When we are able to show that gender bias can hurt both men & women alike and that there is a value proposition in having more women at the top, will they participate. Women must stop the ‘I’m the victim - You are the villain’ narrative and seek co-operation form men by helping them explore their self-interest.
2. Shed light on 'male privilege': Many men may not recognize that they do receive certain benefits merely by being in greater numbers in positions of power in the workplace and society. Male privilege seems to be often visible only to women and so it is imperative that men see it too so that we can eliminate the “fish bowl” effect. Frequent dialogues to facilitate men’s understanding of how unconscious biases, assumptions and stereotypes impact partnerships between women and men will go a long way.
3. Break gender (masculine) norms: Psychologist Robert Brannon categorized masculine norms that define male identity in 4 categories; No sissy Stuff, Be a Sturdy Oak, Give them hell and Be a Big Wheel! These norms condition men to associate themselves with aggression, risk, success, achievement, power and physical strength. They play out in different cultures differently, but the ideas such as ‘Men don’t cry’, ‘Men will be men’, ‘You have got to be an achiever’ are universal. These norms unfortunately influence them to also suppress emotional expressions, prioritize competition roles over nurturing ones and sometimes not risk sponsoring women. They also might negatively influence a man’s ability to acknowledge and seek help during times of stress or depression. Yet men conform to these norms because it helps them get into the insider group, build network, find sponsors and build solidarity with the men’s groups. Not only are the rewards of conformity very high, the fear of rejection and non-inclusivity also makes defiance tough. If an organization’s D&I initiatives can show men that they also pay a price for conformity and focus on challenges men face, the need for justice/equality sets in.
4. Norms to biases: A research by Catalyst ‘Engaging Men in Gender Initiatives’ states that the more men dared to defy some masculine norms, the higher their awareness of gender bias is. The research also mentions that several factors might predict men’s awareness of gender bias including defiance of masculine norms, sense of fair play, spouse’s or partner’s employment status, and having a daughter. Men with higher awareness of bias were also more likely to indicate a strong concern for and aptitude to helping others.
5. Cross-gender mentoring: To start with, assign women mentors for men. Men who have been mentored by women are likely to be more aware of gender bias than men who have not had this experience. The Catalyst research also reveals that men’s sense of fair play predicts whether they were visible to others as champions of gender equity in the workplace, and not their awareness of gender bias. Therefore changing the dialogue from patriarchy to that of sense of fair play is the key. Men who have spent a long time in the leadership ranks also have to engaged in formal mentorship and sponsorship programs in place to help advance high-potential women.
Norms such as ‘Men don’t cry’, ‘Men will be men’, ‘You have got to be an achiever’ are universal & influence them to also suppress emotional expressions, prioritize competition roles and sometimes not risk sponsoring women.
6. Cater to practical & strategic needs of men & women: An inclusive leader shouldn’t only constantly keep his eyes and ears open for practical needs of both genders in their different life stages based on their gender roles, but should also have a strategic plan to create a gender balanced organization. So not just granting a sabbatical for a stay at home father but also work towards achieving a target percentage of women to be in the leadership pipeline.
7. Finding champions: Ofcourse, not all men are going to start championing for women. One must look for those male leaders who persistently model inclusivity visibly in their business initiatives. Those seen by peers or colleagues as sensitive supporters of gender equity have to be identified and assigned formal roles as sponsors, mentors and coaches for women. When they are held accountable to build women leaders, there will be a sense of commitment as there is also a personal stake and self-interest in making changes.
The writing on the wall is clear. Companies must seek systemic changes to bring gender equity because it is a business prerogative to engage all parts of the system. The senior leadership group which right now comprises of 80% of men C-suite/Executive roles has to lead the change initiative and bring men and women together for solution-building. However, transformation in the culture, values, attitudes and behaviors take time; and organizations must be prepared to take on this arduous yet rewarding long journey!