Does Men’s Allyship Contribute to Gender Equity? YES!

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

One of the core missions of Advocates and Allies for Equity (AA4E) is to engage and support men on campus in becoming effective allies and advocates for gender equity. Whereas some men already stand in solidarity with this mission, their numbers are not yet sufficient to foster a robust culture of allyship across campus.

This edition of Ally Tips highlights new research on how men’s allyship can positively impact women’s experiences and representation on campus, aiming to inspire more men to join this important movement. As more men step into the role of allies, the opportunities to advance gender equity in our community will grow dramatically.

More importantly, becoming an effective ally or advocate is not an individual journey, but a collaborative one. We encourage you to partner with AA4E to bring a Facilitation—a unit or department-based workshop tailored specifically for men faculty or Student Academic Appointees—to your program in Spring 2025. Space is limited, so be sure to secure your spot early. Together, we hope to foster a campus culture where gender equity thrives.

How Men’s Allyship Improves Women’s Perception of Workplace Culture

Despite their passion and talent, women often leave men-dominated fields due to a “chilly climate.” This climate stems from factors, such as biases against women and the absence of networks and support systems that address diverse interests and needs. These conditions often result in causing women’s negative perception of their workplace in terms of 1) identity safety, which refers to the psychological safety individuals feel when they can freely express their authentic selves, and 2) procedural justice, which involves fairness in decision-making processes, resolving disputes, and allocating resources.

Much research has suggested the importance of improving women’s perception of identity safety and procedural justice to retain women in men dominant fields.^{1, 2, 3, 4,}⁵ Moser and Branscombe (2022), emphasized that the presence of men allies is essential in helping to create a sense of fairness and respect, especially in fields dominated by men. Their study found that women’s perceptions of identity safety and procedural justice were most positively influenced by men allies at the interpersonal level—more so than by women allies or organizational-level efforts, such as diversity statements. Moreover, women who had male allies reported feeling a greater sense of fairness, respect, and support within their organizations. These findings underscore that “allyship from men may have a powerful role in increasing women’s recruitment and retention in male-dominated fields.”

Why Men’s Allyship is Especially Impactful for Women’s Representation

The effectiveness of men’s allyship lies in its perceived authenticity. As Moser and colleagues (2024) explain:

“Given their status as the primary beneficiaries of gender inequality, men are perceived as acting against their own self-interest when advocating for gender equality. Acts counter to one’s personal or group interest are viewed as more persuasive than acts consistent with one’s self-interest.”

In other words, because men hold privilege in the current social system, their allyship sends a powerful message to women—particularly women from racially minoritized groups—that their work and contributions are valued. This ultimately enhances respect and support while reducing hostility in the workplace.^6,⁷

Ally Tips for Men

Normalizing Allyship by practicing it: Li and colleagues (2024) found that watching or learning about a colleague who confronted prejudice in the workplace immediately changes perceptions of the norms — of what is done, what is accepted, and what is valued in the workplace. Further, this is especially true for members of stigmatized groups who witness prejudice confrontation. In other words, seeing men’s allyship can empower men as allies. It means that even though prejudice confrontation can be difficult, practicing allyship encourage more men to commit to gender equity. A couple of other tips for men to consider when practicing allyship include:

Be open to making mistakes: Instead of presenting yourself as a fully knowledgeable ally, embrace mistakes as opportunities for growth and conversations with women colleagues.

Share your allyship efforts with other men: Create a peer culture among men that promotes allyship.

Participate in the Survey on Gender Discrimination at IUB!

Please help us improve your experience by participating in a brief survey on gender discrimination on campus.

See our Archived Ally Tips

Learn more about Advocates and Allies for Equity

Weekly Ally Resources

Video: 3 Things Men Can Do to Promote Gender Equity – Jimmie Briggs, a journalist and activist, discusses how men’s allyship can be effective in promoting gender equity.
Resource: Facilitation – IUB Advocates & Allies for Equity works with units and departments to facilitate small group workshops on gender equity for men faculty.

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