As part of the second annual DIMA (Diversity in Marketing & Media) Summit, DIMA have released their list of 50 Male Advocates For Equality In Marketing & Media. DIMA state: “Our goal for this initiative has been to showcase and celebrate the contribution of men in media and marketing who are advocating for change, promoting equality and actively taking action for change.
We hope this inaugural list, inspires a desire for aspiring advocates to join the conversation, and more importantly rise to the challenge for active advocacy in a positive light and pave the way for a truly inclusive future for our industry.”
The list is here.
Research shows that when men are actively involved in diversity & inclusion initiatives, 96% of companies report progress. When men are not involved, only 30% show progress.
Men have a pivotal role to play in creating inclusive workplaces. But too often they are missing from workplace diversity and inclusion efforts, or only peripherally involved. There are many reasons for this. According to the report by The Center for Women and Business (CWB) at Bentley University, men who do embrace gender equity as their responsibility understand the need for a shift in workplace culture, but many do not know how to go about making it happen. When men do recognise a gender issue at work and want to help, they admit to feeling uncomfortable. The sentiment of men in the Fairygodboss/Artemis study was, “…it’s kind of awkward” or “I might say the wrong thing.” Only 41% of men surveyed said they had publicly advocated for a woman; 21% said they have not advocated or acted as an ally. PwC Global Chairman Bob Moritz described this hesitancy, “When the topic of diversity comes up, white men often feel labeled ‘the bad guys.’ We can be so worried about saying the wrong thing that sometimes we default to saying nothing instead. In another study, conducted by Creative Coaching consultant Karen Barr, interviewed 25 senior male business leaders over nine months and found that many men did not believe gender diversity was a business critical issue. In addition to lack of awareness, and societal definitions of gender roles, another reason is the fact that many diversity initiatives are not engaging enough men.
Whatever the reason, it is important to bring both men and women to the table to work together to create an inclusive diversity initiative. We know that in our industry there are many men who are making strides behind the limelight which corresponds with the research findings of the 2016 Fairygodboss and Artemis survey highlighted ways in which men have been allies to advancing women’s inclusion at work in which 53% of the men surveyed said they privately advocated for equality, inclusion and diversity 53% and only 21% said that they had not acted as an ally.