"Men and women have a joint responsibility to achieve gender equality. We should aim to deliver fundamental change within a generation, so my two daughters and two sons take it for granted that they will be judged on their merits, not their gender." - Paul Boyle, President & Vice Chancellor, University of Leicester
We cannot talk about advancing women’s and girls’ empowerment without including men in the conversation. As 71% of management positions are held by men in the city, and six in seven Hang Seng Index company directors are men, we will not make significant progress if we do not engage men as supporters and drivers of change.
It has been our goal to translate this mission into action and to this end, TWF is thrilled to officially launch our ground-breaking Male Allies initiative. Male Allies leverages the collective influence and personal engagement of male business leaders to advance greater gender equality together – within their organisations and more broadly across the Hong Kong business community.
Last week, we inaugurated the initiative with a kick-off event attended by more than 30 senior Corporate Representatives from our Male Allies 2018-2019 cycle. Representing a range of industries - from financial services and law firms to engineering firms, from manufacturing to retail and from PR agencies to research institutions - the group agreed on the need for Male Allies in creating gender inclusive work places. They shared some of the poignant reasons behind their motivations in becoming Male Allies, as well as insights into some of the challenges they are looking to address:
“I used to be the one mansplaining [and] interrupting my wife in conversations […] I now catch myself making assumptions and have become more aware of my micro-behaviours.”
“My female team member gave birth a few weeks ago and now she is back in the office. Because parental leave is only offered to women [as maternity leave], if women take it, it is assumed that they are not serious about work. This is all part of unconscious bias.”
“At the beginning, 60% of hires are female, but then when you look at the top it shrinks down to 20%. This fall-rate is quite distressing and honestly, bad for business. I want to change this and create a better environment for my four daughters who one day will work for one of your companies.”
By sharing best practice and research, peer to peer discussions and concrete pledges to action, the goal is to form a community of male allies who are fluent in the language of gender equality and are able to drive real change in their spheres of influence, in and out of the workplace. Through this unique initiative, we look to normalise the conversation around gender equality by creating a safe space for dialogue, including how gender norms affect everyone – men and women, girls and boys. We hope to inspire more men and women to join forces and work together towards a more equal and inclusive society, where we are encouraged to be valued and seen for who we really are.
We would like to thank all of our Male Allies for joining and would also like to extend a special thank you to the founding members of the Male Allies Leadership Council for their drive, commitment, hard work and leadership in launching the initiative.
Stay in touch with us online through the Male Allies website and LinkedIn page.
