Seeing Allyship in Troubled Times
Many people are feeling anguished the past couple weeks. The force of the patriarchy seems to be extra strong in the wake of the Roe vs Wade ruling. It is hard to recognize allyship right now.
In celebration of Father’s Day, we wanted to collect and share stories from women when they noticed allyship at work. We put calls out on social media. We did not get a single response.
Allyship is happening, we are making progress. When our worlds are full of news blasting us with what feels like the opposite, we may need to try extra hard to see the ally actions, recognize them, and encourage them to keep it up.
In an Harvard Business Review article from May 2022, co-author and professors Tsedale M. Melaku and Christoph Winkler have really great advice for identifying allies. Before we dive in, a reminder of why you should care that allies are doing their part.
When we talk about people who are allies to Women in Design, we mean anyone who sits in a position to help equity for all genders in our field. Typically this means men, but it could be any gendered person who can dismantle the systemic power structures that currently prevent advancement toward equity.
“Allyship is defined as a strategic mechanism used intentionally by individuals who strive to be collaborators, accomplices, and coconspirators.” – Melaku & Winkler
Seeing acts of allyship – Here’s how:
Notice those reducing emotional and invisible labor
Was there someone at your workplace that pointed out how the office house work was falling to that same marginalized groups? Even at a peer level, did someone offer to take notes for a meeting, so that you could be free for more engagement and having a voice?
Who is helping to position those with marginalized status?
Is someone paying earnest attention to what a coworker was saying? If that marginalized person trying to get an idea across was ignored, was there an ally that brought the attention back to them?
Take notice if there is diversity in who advances in your company.
Did that happen because there are advocates working to ensure transparency in promotion practices?
Did someone exercise their privilege to recognize an inequity?
Directing attention to inequities without silencing those who are marginalized; being kind, thoughtful, and open to disagreements; and learning and admitting their mistakes.
Are there people seeking out how to be better allies?
Are there folks sitting in women’s employee resource group meetings to listen and learn? Are there leaders hosting round tables to ask what the company could be doing better? They don’t rely on the marginalized group for education, but take initiatives to learn.
Once you recognize allyship, tell them you see it. Giving positive reinforcement is the best way to keep their actions going and for it to spread to others. A chat message, or a passing “I noticed what you did” goes a long way.
Is there someone you know that exemplifies allyship for Women in Design? Leave us a comment below and tell us how they do it.