How and why men should become better, more active workplace allies
A professor shares insights from a study that reveals the multitudes of benefits companies can gain from even small strides toward gender equity — and why fighting everyday sexism enriches men, too.
Women and groups advocating for gender equality are increasingly urging men to become allies in the fight.
Research has shown that in the absence of male support, women have to shoulder the burden of battling routine workplace sexism such as misogynist humor and microaggressions on their own. This can lead to a sense of isolation, stress and exhaustion.
But what difference can one un-sexist man make?
My colleagues and I had a hunch that the actions of individual male allies – even through simple acts such as highlighting the strengths of female colleagues or checking in on their well-being – might serve as a counterweight to the negative effects of everyday sexism. But not only that, we decided to study how that might impact men as well.
How to behave like an ally
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