So, You Want to Be a Male Ally for Gender Equality? (And You Should): Results From a National Survey, and a Few Things You Should Know

When it comes to supporting gender equality and women’s rights, or even the #MeToo movement, many men believe they’re already doing their part, but there is a long way to go before women are fully equal to men—at work, in hiring, salary, benefits, mentoring, and promotion; at home, in the unequal division of childcare and household labor between partners; and in leadership positions.

Real, sustainable change requires men to become full partners and allies in supporting gender equality and in ending discrimination and harassment. It also requires men to understand how various identities (such as race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, and ability) impact the equation.

To make progress, there is a need to understand how men are currently responding to calls for gender equality across the domains of leadership, work, and home, as well as how women perceive these responses. What sort of actions are they taking as allies and partners? How do women perceive men’s allyship? Where are men succeeding, where are they missing the mark, and why?

This brief presents nationally representative survey data and insights from US focus group discussions to help answer these questions. Results from the study provide guidance for workplaces seeking to create cultures of respect, equality, and inclusivity and for men seeking to better understand what women want and need from them as allies and to learn constructive ways they can help bring other men on board with gender equality.