Are men ok? Trump, gender equality and the tough conversations for the UK.

Like many, I’m deeply dismayed by the outcome of the US election. Whilst I don’t pretend to be an expert in US politics, two things are painfully clear. One, gender and women’s rights were a key part of the Harris campaign. Two, her progressive campaign lost by every metric.

Certainly, online misogynist men have felt emboldened, even jubilant, with Trump’s win. Yet there is little evidence to support such extremist feelings being held by 54% of US male voters.

?So why did they, at best, deprioritise women’s rights in their voting choices? And is this now a global trend, and one we will increasingly see in the UK??

I’ve been pondering these questions since the result last week, until I found a fascinating study whilst doing some background research for a round table discussion I am running next week for one of our corporate clients. I applaud this client for facing head-on the tough conversations which are currently undermining their EDI work internally. It seems that more and more heterosexual white men are questioning gender - and minority employee - targets internally, alongside starting to openly block all the internal, targeted leadership development initiatives.

It’s dangerous to ever dismiss dissenting views, and following Trump’s victory I think there is even more need for open and safe conversations within carefully facilitated forums. Many still don’t understand that diverse teams perform better (but only if the team is well managed), and that collectively we all benefit from better performance and better customer outcomes.

Even a cursory glance at the data on gender diversity in top leadership, and in the resulting pay gap, suggests that men are very much ‘ok’, I’d venture so far as ‘doing great’, in many quarters.?

But what about mid-career men??

The study I found during my research is a new one by five leading universities ‘A Gender Backlash: Does Exposure to Female Labor Market Participation Fuel Gender Conservatism?’. ?It focuses on the views of men further down the career ladder. After all, men in top leadership roles are, by definition, a small elite group. Using data on Switzerland, this study found men’s progression and pay does drop by a small percentage as more women enter their industry. It also correlates this with more conservative gender attitudes being formed.

This is a conclusion I personally felt initial resistance to but, on reflection, I do believe this is an uncomfortable truth we need to face head on.?

Switzerland has a relatively strong labour market, and a political culture which has not exploited the formation of more conservative gender attitudes. Whilst I’ve not found this study replicated in the US, we don’t need an academic to tell us how tough the current jobs market is, and how - combined with a populist candidate tapping into these views – it could be a key driver of the US vote.?

What does this mean for EDI?

It’s widely recognised that at times our political landscape can seem to mirror the US. I have come to the conclusion that including men in EDI is even more vital today than it was 10 years ago.

Clearly, bringing in talent from the whole population, not just the male half, has huge business benefits. But at an individual level, we need to frame the discussion holistically.

Whilst things may be slightly tougher at work, looking at this Swiss study, we may need to start considering the impact on men’s lives at home. Crucially, emphasising the benefits of an increasingly ‘feminised’ working culture, which allows men more time with their children, is essential. I congratulate?Elliot Rae?on championing this message. The removal of the ‘sole breadwinner’ pressure in relationships and joy in celebrating others’ success is also key to role model - exemplified by?Robert Baker. David Rodin should also be noted here regarding his excellent work on cultural change within large companies. Please do tag in any other men driving these conversations.

Finally, facing up to these uncomfortable truths and having the tough conversations within our companies will be vital. I’m honoured to be helping one of our corporate clients to do just this. It is a profoundly challenging task for EDI professionals. Knowing what brave and brilliant individuals are called to this work, I’ve no doubt we are up to the task.?