Men, as allies, could play a role in promoting better gender equality in the workplace. — AFP
The presence of a male gender equality "ally" may be critical to women's integration in the workplace, according to a new study published in Social Psychological And Personality Science.
The difference it can make is said to come down to a few things. "Simply communicating that you care about gender equality and intend to act as an ally for women can make a difference for women's feelings of inclusion in male-dominated spaces," outlines Charlotte Moser, researcher at the University of Kansas, the United States.
Men could indeed be important allies in the fight against women feeling isolated or marginalised at work because of their gender. To come up with this finding, the researchers conducted three studies, on a sample of 241, 393, and 398 women successively. In each study, the selected women were asked to imagine that they had received a job offer. They were then randomly assigned to view flip charts of their future colleagues, showing either an all-male team or a gender-balanced staff. In some teams, a man expressed support for gender equality, while in others, no colleague mentioned the issue. Participants then completed a questionnaire to indicate the extent to which they would feel isolated or supported by colleagues in the company.
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