Bridging the gap: male allies advancing women in STEM

STEM is not ‘us vs them’, and nor should it be. However, for equality to be impactful, there must be a realisation that there is a divide, and being perceived as doing the right thing is not the same as wanting to do the right thing.

Lauren Neal, Founder and Chief Programme Creator at Valued at Work, exemplifies the importance of recognising the difference in this chain of thought in her book 'Valued at Work: Shining a Light on Bias to Engage, Enable, and Retain Women in STEM'.

Speaking on the need of a genuine desire for change, Neal comments: "Too many organisations focus on metrics and ‘ticking boxes’ when it comes to change rather than focusing on how to make sustainable change. To make changes stick, hearts and minds need to be engaged through empathy, authenticity, and listening to understand the real problems – and then setting out to solve them together."

The current landscape

Though recent years indicate that progress is being made, it seems the UK has taken a step backwards in terms of closing the gender pay gap, with the PwC’s ‘Women In Work Index’ reporting the gender pay gap has extended to 14.5% meaning, on average, a women will earn 10% less than a man in the UK.

It’s not only the gender pay gap that’s perpetuating the chasm of diversity in tech, women also face other hurdles from the ‘motherhood penalty’ and the ‘lazy girl’ trend, to persistent gender biases that undermine their contributions and hinder advancement.

A recent HiBob report, ‘Women in the Workplace’ states that, among other findings, only 17% of men feel they are promoted more often or quicker than women, and 79% of men believe women are paid equally. The collective indication of the report is that men, for the most part, believe the landscape to be more even than a woman’s perception of the same landscape.

The underrepresentation of women in senior positions within these fields further exacerbates the issue, creating a cycle that's hard to break without concerted effort and genuine support from all genders.

The power of true allies

Genuine allyship is more than superficial support. To be an ally, there needs to first be a recognition that there is a problem. Then an understanding of what the problem is. And then, from a place of truth, a commitment to actively working to dismantle those barriers. This recognition stems beyond the workplace.

Jeremy Stockdale, CEO and Founder of Ylead, offers some insights on how men can help women to flourish in their careers.

“I think the key thing is to be aware of the additional, both physical and mental, load that women carry in the home and the workplace.

“According to the UN, women undertake two and a half to three times more unpaid work than men through caring for children, caring for elderly relatives, household chores, all those things. It's not just the practical side of that, it is also the mental load they have to carry.

“What men can do is notice and acknowledge what their partners are doing, both at home and in the workplace, and share some of the load. For example, don't allow the women to do all the office admin such taking notes in meetings, organising social events, attending things like DEI committees – men can get involved in those as well – the same thing goes in the home.”

The help men can offer also extends to advocating for policies that support work-life balance, such as paternity leave, which not only reduces the stigma often placed on women as the primary caregivers, but it also promotes a more inclusive workplace culture.

Advocating for change

Men have a unique opportunity to advocate for change by promoting and utilising paternity leave policies, mentoring women, and ensuring that their contributions are recognised and rewarded. By doing so from a place of genuine commitment to gender equality, male allies can influence organisational cultures, making them more equitable and supportive of women's advancement.

Stockdale further exemplifies the ways in which men can help challenge stereotypes and biases in the workplace.

“The first thing is to start to get educated about what those stereotypes and biases are. Start to understand them for themselves. Then start to understand how others might adopt those stereotypes and biases … become more aware. Once you've done that, and you've seen these things, then you're in a position where you can gently challenge those things by taking someone to one side and having a separate conversation with them – which is an example of ‘calling in’.”

In terms of making a change at an organisational level, long-time advocate and mentor for women in tech, Vince Pizzoni, Fellow, Career Coach, and Mentor for the Energy Institute shares some steps he believes businesses can make to ensure a more diverse environment.

“Develop more of an understanding of unconscious bias, how it might impact recruitment and learn techniques to improve diversity

“Introduce a mentoring and reverse mentoring scheme

“More sponsorship of women and those from black and minority ethnic backgrounds

“The active involvement and sponsorship of senior executives in company EDI groups”

The impact of allyship

Pizzoni further shares some of the ways in which he has supported women in tech and what the outcomes of his support were.

“My main support to Women in Tech has been through mentoring and sponsorship. I mentor several 1,000 people today of which well over 50% are women. Many of which I meet up for mentoring sessions on a regular basis.

“Their feedback is often: ‘I feel more confident in my career’, ‘I now have a much clearer plan regarding career direction ‘, ‘I now understand more what a sponsor is, and I will seek them out’, ‘Your ongoing mentoring and sponsorship has given me the knowledge and expertise to do more myself with others’.”

The path to achieving gender equality in STEM is complex and requires the involvement of everyone, including male allies, but the effectiveness of this support hinges on its authenticity.

Male allies must engage in this effort out of a genuine desire to create a more equitable and inclusive environment for all. By doing so, they not only contribute to the advancement of women in STEM but also to the creation of a more innovative, dynamic, and diverse field to work in.