Why being an ally is so important
What is an ally?
An ally is someone who is not a member of a marginalised group, but who sees the barriers and discrimination the group experience, and uses their privilege to champion, support and advocate for them. In other words, they call out discrimination and encourage action.
Why are allies important?
Allies play a key role in the advancement of underrepresented groups; without allyship, inclusion simply would not be achievable!
Looking back over the course of history, allies have always been influential in driving change. Take the women’s suffrage movement as an example; men, who had influence, helped the suffragettes by giving them a platform to speak. This played a significant role in securing the right for women to vote.
And it is no different today. A-Listers such as Hugh Jackman and Lady Gaga are actively using their influence and platforms to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community.
Why is allyship important in the workplace?
Despite lots of progress having been made, discriminatory behaviours and practices happen in many workplaces on a daily basis. There are probably instances of it happening in your workplace which you might not even notice or be aware of – because it doesn’t affect you directly. It could be a woman being overlooked for a promotion due to worries she will take time off to have a family. It could be your colleague being paid less than you despite performing a similar role and having the same level of responsibility. It could be a colleague being spoken over when they are trying to share their ideas at a meeting.
Allyship can put the spotlight on discrimination to drive real change, and it can also encourage us to reflect on our own behaviour and biases.
Which groups are underrepresented at work?
Particular groups which often face discrimination at work include:
- Women – Organisations with a higher representation of women on their boards tend to be more profitable [1], but women are still underrepresented in senior leadership teams and on company boards.
- Ethnic minorities – Job seekers from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely than their white counterparts to be hired, even when they are born and educated in the UK [2].
- Disabled individuals – This includes individuals with hidden disabilities and health conditions, both physical and mental, who may require accommodations such as time off for medical appointments.
- Religion – Muslim job seekers are often overlooked in favour of their Christian counterparts, and some Muslim employees have even been requested to change their names to English sounding names [3].
- LGBTQ+ – LGBTQ+ workers tend to experience higher levels of conflict in the workplace than their heterosexual and cisgender colleagues [4].
What type of ally are you?
According to Karen Caitlin, there are different ways to show-up and be a good ally [5], which we’ve summarised for you here:
- The Supporter – An ally who actively supports colleagues from underrepresented groups. This could be recommending a colleague for a promotion or project, or offering practical support to help a colleague overcome barriers.
- The Champion – An ally who actively advocates for inclusion by stepping back to give the colleague more visibility. This could be noticing that certain colleagues have been left out of a project or event when they really should be involved, so making sure they are included.
- The Amplifier – An ally who makes sure the voices of those underrepresented are heard and, most importantly, respected. This could be as simple as making sure everyone has the chance to speak at a meeting or giving a colleague the credit for an idea they come up with rather than taking the idea as your own.
- The Advocate – An ally who uses their power and influence to make sure the voices of those underrepresented are heard. This could be someone in a senior position highlighting the group’s concerns and opinions to the Board. This means those at the top can understand what is going on at the lower rungs of the organisation and can implement policies and practices to support.
- The Upstander – An ally who draws attention to wrong-doing by challenging it – essentially the direct opposite of a bystander! They are not happy to sit by and watch discrimination happen. This could be challenging a colleague who makes a sexist remark, or reporting harassment.
How See Her Thrive is promoting allyship
At See Her Thrive we are committed to developing allyship in workplaces by providing training and workshops in menstrual health, fertility and menopause, so that everyone can thrive at work. By creating a safe place, attendees can be open and comfortable sharing their experiences and asking questions.
We actively encourage all employees to participate, not just those that menstruate. It is really important that everyone is on board, so we offer training specifically tailored for men and allies. For instance, our MANopause workshop is designed to be a safe space for men to learn about menopause and how best to support their colleagues and loved ones through this transition.
And we have teamed up with ManHealth, a men’s mental health organisation, to bring their expertise and resources to more employers, so together we can create workplaces where everyone can thrive!
Get in touch to find out how we can promote allyship in your workplace!
Sources
[1] https://www.bcg.com/publications/2018/how-diverse-leadership-teams-boost-innovation
[2] https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/ethnic-penalties-and-hiring-discrimination/
[4] https://www.cipd.org/uk/knowledge/reports/inclusion-perspectives-lgbt/
[5] Karen Caitlin (2019). Better Allies.
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