However, female employees see things somewhat differently, with most far from considering their male colleagues as allies, according to the conclusions of a recent survey from an American association.
When it comes to the subject of equal pay, male employees can be effective allies for their female colleagues. One US study, for example, demonstrated that the fight for gender equality in the workplace carries more weight when it is led by a group that includes both men and women, as opposed to an exclusively women-headed group.
But are the men who work in companies truly allies? A recent survey conducted by the Integrating Women Leaders (IWL) Foundation shows that there are diverging perceptions according to who is being interviewed on the subject.
Among the executives questioned, 77% of men perceive themselves, or their colleagues of the same gender, as “advocates” or “active” in the fight for gender equality – a point of view shared by only 45% of female executives, who take a different and much more critical view of their male colleagues’ involvement as allies.
In the same vein, nearly one out of two men (49%) said they saw male employees “regularly taking actions to be allies for women” colleagues. Asked the same question, only 28% of women responded positively.
But on what aspects are employees basing their claims? Apart from defending equal pay for equal work and skills, the study also looked at specific behaviour of employees among themselves.
For example, 71% of men perceived “men giving credit to women for their ideas and contributions” seem to believe this is the case, compared with just 40% of women – a 31% gap.
Discriminatory microaggressions
The same is true when it comes to promotions: 75% of men say they support their female colleagues, but 19% of women confirm this is the case.
Meanwhile, 44% of men say males in their company advocate frequently for women, even when they are not in the room; while only 13% of women employees share this view.
The study also focused on microaggressions, which are “subtle, often unconscious messages that devalue, discourage, and impair workplace performance”.
Based on the responses from the women surveyed, 65% of them experience these microaggressions “always”, “frequently”, or “sometimes,” whether verbal or behavioral. This includes being interrupted more often than their male colleagues when they speak in meetings, or having their judgment questioned even when they are speaking in their field of expertise.
These are well-known sexist mechanisms that feminist activists call “manterrupting” and “mansplaining”.
It also means much of their work is made invisible, which can take the form of a lack of recognition of their contributions to a given file or project; having their ideas stolen; or being asked to perform tasks that do not relate to their job description, such as taking notes or getting coffee.
“Allyship is critical to moving the needle on gender equity, and our research validates that much more education, awareness, and calling out of devaluing behaviour is required,” the report concludes.