5 ways for male allies to ensure that women are given equal opportunity to succeed.

A week to International Women’s Day. There’s been much progress on women’s issues being addressed globally but we’re far from success in addressing equality for women, especially in workplaces.

Even in 2021, gender biases and barriers are still prevalent in professional settings. In an era where ‘zooming’ no longer mean it what it used to, we are still hearing of high profile cases of gender discrimination i.e. women not in leadership roles, men making sexual statements at women. All of these happening in an environment that’s meant to be “professional”.

Less than a week into the government declaring 2021 as the year of celebrating women in Singapore, news broke on how a former nominated member of parliament made a sexual comment on a stand-up comedian. Not a great start, is it?

Now, I must preface this post by saying that I am not an expert on women’s issues. I have much to learn but I feel that we must keep educating the masses to ensure that we make progress on these problems. I have spent time reading about some of these issues, spoke to women about it on The Ironing Board podcast and also volunteer my time at PPIS (Singapore Muslim Women’s Association) as a member of its advisory committee for corporate communications. I want to learn still and as I learn, I want to help impart the knowledge attained.

So here are five ways I’d like to propose to men, to take on to challenge stereotypes, confront bias, and ensure women in our lives are given equal opportunity to succeed. International Women’s Day is imminent, so there’s no better time to gain some knowledge on these issues.

1.      In meetings, ensure your female colleagues are being heard.

Prior to COVID, we’ve heard how people complain of ineffective meetings, stretching for hours and still finding themselves back to square one. Since COVID, that has transformed to Zoom meetings. But the common feature is that in meetings, women tend to be heard less than men. 45% of women business leaders say it’s difficult for women to speak up in virtual meetings as reported by CNBC. That’s an alarming statistic. So, men in meeting rooms, take a listen instead. Give an opportunity for your female colleagues to be heard. If there’s another man who decides to talk over her or interrupt, take her side by saying that you’d like for her to finish and hear her opinion.

2.      Ask – “Where are the women?”

In my day job, I often put together events where I have organise for panels of speakers to give their insights on a particular topic on the media and communications industry. There were instances when I ask for recommendations for a prospective speaker list and ended up with a suggestion of all male professionals. I’d then ask myself – “where are the women?”. Because they’re there and you don’t have to look hard to find them. Give opportunities for women leaders to share their professional opinions. They’d inspire other women to do the same and strive for success. In any area of your professional life, if you ever find yourself in a situation where you’re only listening to dudes, then ask yourself – where are the women? What would they say on this matter? Let’s find and ask some of them.

3.      Girls can do it too - most of the time, they do it better. Tell that to our daughters, and sons!

Girls can do it too! - is what I tell my 7-year-old daughter, Ava. Before they get to the workplace, girls in school should feel that they can achieve anything – be a pilot, a doctor, a dancer, an engineer, a soldier, a firefighter. We should inspire our daughters that they can do anything boys can. We should be teaching our sons about how girls should be respected, their opinions matter and that they are just as good as them. Football and wrestling are not just for boys. Girls can shoot rifles, fly airplanes, and put out fires too. Dancing, stuffed toys and the colour pink are not feminine. Boys can like them too. When boys see that girls are their equals and vice versa, they’d grow up to always appreciate that.

4.      Our job isn’t to simply bring home the bacon.

One of the toughest times for women becoming mothers, is when they must worry about their positions while putting their lives on the line, to bring in another. From then, the motherly instinct kicks in on needing to be with the baby 24/7 or having separation anxieties with leaving the little one behind with a caregiver. And we’re not even yet talking about how real and common post-partum depression is. So, we can provide support to allow them to ease their fears by ensuring that parenting is not done by just mummy. Household chores don’t come as a job description in your marriage certificates with your wife. Help them, be involved. Make it easier for them to be able to dedicate time for themselves, to succeed and bringing in the bacon, together with you. It’s a partnership.

5.      Hire women. Promote and recognise them. It starts with YOU.

We have a gender imbalance in leadership positions. You want to make a change? Then men, if you’re in a leadership role and been given the task to hire team members, always consider the females who have applied for the roles. If you have conscientious, diligent and talented women as part of your team, promote them to leadership positions. Recognise their contributions to the company and your team. Ensure that others in your firm hear about their great work. And in the midst of all that, make certain that they are paid equally as males in similar positions.

The imbalance can be restored only if the majority recognise this and willing to make a change. So as Michael Jackson sang, it starts with the man (quite literally) in the mirror.

This post first appeared on The Ironing Board Podcast website. Listen to The Ironing Board Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.