After Third Hemisphere gave all women International Women’s Day off this year, two male leaders from the business have penned some ideas on what more men can do to step up for women.
As another International Women’s Day (IWD) comes and goes, it can feel like progress on gender equality is glacial at best.
In fact, the Antarctic glaciers sadly might disappear sooner than gender bias and disadvantage.
But we believe the vast majority of Australian men want a world that truly offers their daughters the same opportunities as their sons. They realise that improving women’s participation and economic wellbeing makes men and women all wealthier and happier.
Which is great, because it is men who are in the best position to help make this a reality.
Men occupy the vast majority of positions of power: on boards, in the C-suite, as investors and those who receive the bulk of investment, and in Government.
Studies have shown that men listen more readily to other men than to women.
And finally, marginalised and disadvantaged groups are tired and should not be responsible for solving their own disadvantage. They need proactive allies and advocates in positions of power to speak out and act.
Therefore it is men who must move from passive allies to active advocates, and actively dismantle the systems and biases that prevent gender equality.
Here are some relatively easy actions male leaders can take to accelerate progress.
Identify and address subconscious biases
Subconscious biases can impact decisions and behaviour in invisible ways that impede women.
‘Implicit association tests’, like Harvard’s gender-career test, can help uncover a range of these subconscious biases such as associating men with careers, and women with family.
This is an excellent, free, and quick way to understand that, no matter how consciously you may fight your biases, there are many operating at a deeper level.
Next, sign up to at least one course for you and your colleagues to better understand and address subconscious bias.
Identify and address organisational or institutional biases
From confirmation to conformity to authority bias, to policies and practices that perpetuate systemic discrimination – there are so many types of biases that can occur within an organisation.
Address these through an anonymous staff survey of the different biases staff have observed or experienced, including asking how these biases could be solved or avoided. Then turn these suggestions into an action plan.
Get comfortable with positive discrimination
This IWD, Third Hemisphere is giving all female staff a paid day off.
This small act of positive discrimination is designed to address the myriad of research that proves women work more combined hours in the workforce and at home, for significantly less pay.
Positive discrimination requires unequally favouring individuals that are disadvantaged or subject to negative discrimination, to correct or minimise their disadvantage.
This does not disadvantage the superior or majority group; rather, it is a necessary step towards achieving the equality that will benefit us all.
Set a quota for mentoring women
Mentorship programs dramatically improve promotion and retention rates for minorities and women. Yet it’s most common for male leaders to mentor other men.
So set yourself the goal of mentoring a minimum number of women in the next twelve months.
And it’s OK if you end up mentoring more women than men. You’re addressing a systemic imbalance in access to mentoring opportunities by doing so.
Create a “reverse mentorship” program
Create a program where you and your male peers are mentored by women in the organisation, and perhaps even those more junior.
This will help male leaders gain a better understanding of the challenges faced by women in all positions, and increase collaboration.
Use gender-blind job applications and performance evaluations
The meritocracy myth says that women and men get hired and promoted based on their ability and performance. But we know this is not the case due to conscious, subconscious, and institutional biases.
One famous demonstration of this is when the Boston Symphony Orchestra implemented blind auditions one year, and the chances of a woman making it to the next round instantly jumped by almost 50 percent.
Consider recruitment SAAS platforms like Applied that will anonymise job applicants’ personally identifiable information, and watch the composition of your candidates change in front of your eyes.
Champion flexible work arrangements
Unfortunately, women still perform the majority of childrearing and domestic labour – even if they are the primary breadwinner.
So – on top of reassessing your own contribution at home – implement flexible work arrangements that promote greater balance between work and family commitments.
This could include offering part-time work, job sharing, flexible hours, and remote working.
Lead by example in taking paternity leave
Help make a difference by taking time off work!
By taking paternity leave yourself, you show everyone in your organisation that men should also be committed to balancing work and family responsibilities.
We told you that actions for gender parity benefit men too!