Equal rights for women does not mean fewer rights for men...... It’s not a cake

Gender equality is not just a woman's issue....we know this

Bu how do organisations help male employees to understand the challenges women face and better support their female colleagues without them feeling compromised themselves? ?

Because unconscious bias training doesn't appear to be working

Last week I spoke at a Women in Fire Engineering conference which had a dozen or so men in the audience. I admit to feeling slightly sorry for them; there wasn't any male bashing but there were specific references to some of the challenges women face that are precipitated by patriarchal systems and the manner in which some (not all) men behave, it had to be uncomfortable listening

At the end of last year I also shared some insights with representatives, (male and female) of a corporate client I work with. I was briefed not to sweeten the pill and the men, in particular, were appalled by the findings..they thought they were making progress!

The good news is these men are listening. They want to be involved in the conversation and therefore become part of the solution

This is important because women need male allies and advocates. Men still hold the balance of power, so to reach 50/50 we need their support and alienating them is not helpful

In my experience, men who are more likely to be open to supporting and advocating women in the workplace fall into a couple of categories

1. Those who have had personal experience. Perhaps a wife, daughter, partner has experienced prejudice or bias, because of age, pregnancy, mislabelling, or something else
2. ?Those who naturally support equality, perceive women to be equal and are frustrated by the current situation

Conversely, lack of support, might be for one or a combination of these reasons

• Denial – they simply don’t recognise there is a problem because they don’t ‘see it’
• Protectionism and self-interest – they see no reason to change a situation that currently works in their favour
• Fear and feeling threatened – of losing control to their own detriment to the extent they might become the new minority
• Misogyny/toxic stereotyping/prejudice – they don’t rate women colleagues, don’t consider them up to the task, harbour a secret belief that women are second-class citizens, should be at home with the kids and not worthy of high profile roles
• Bias, (un)conscious – hard-wired to favour men and lack awareness of their being part of the problem
• Gender whitewash – fed up with women wanting equality, too many angry women, too much wokeness and bleeding heart liberalism
• Indifference

The key to making any change is to first be aware and acknowledge the existence of these mindsets.?I find it difficult to believe that anyone remains unaware but I still can't see male employees openly admitting to any of the above, unless you're Andrew Tate

And that's where unconscious bias training has failed. Going on a training course which you think doesn't really apply to you anyway, won't help change deep-seated beliefs, men have to acknowledge that collectively, if not individually they are part of a bigger problem and therefore the solution. For example

• We need men to call out men who interrupt women
• We need men to call out micro-aggressions against women
• We need men to realise that hiring in their own image is not always the answer

12 months or so ago, Anne Wilson SFHEA wrote an inspired article which presented an alternative more action-orientated approach to unconscious bias, involving a buzzer. The buzzer was activated and deducted points every time an instance of mansplaining, hepeating, manterruption or similar occurred in a meeting. And the reverse for more inclusive behaviour. Aversion Therapy. Genius, who is brave enough to give it a go and step up to the challenge?

Fundamentally it comes down to this

Equal rights for women does not mean fewer rights for men

It’s not a cake, equality for both genders can exist alongside each other and where they do, there is proof that businesses have become more profitable

And that's how EVERYONE benefits, men, women, businesses and society