NEW HORIZONS
Beyond Allies: Building a Network of Support Allyship takes continuous pushing and learning, and a lifetime of listening common things we hear at NEW, particularly from men, is that they just don’t know where to begin supporting women — or how to go about it in ways that really make a tangible difference.
Men often remain on the sidelines, rather than being true advocates and allies. Situational awareness is key, and demands training and preparedness.”
There’s always more to learn about allyship, and the conversation is changing all the time.
NEW piloted Beyond Allies in 2020 and early 2021 with 276 men and women of all seniority levels and across many organizations. To say it “hit the spot” for participants is an understatement. One vice president-level participant told us that it “gave [them] as a veteran leader the inspiration to coach and develop the next generation.”
ONE OF THE MOST
By Karen Jones Head of Learning, Development & DEI Network of Executive Women
What we do know is how important allies are to advancing women’s equity. Allies can become sponsors and mentors, and create change in policy and culture that have vast ripple effects on the lives of working women. We developed our own allyship program, Beyond Allies, to meet this key need. “Research reveals that men often struggle to recognize gender discrimination and harassment in real time,” noted Beyond Allies Facilitator Tom Foley. “While 77 percent of men report doing ‘everything they can’ to support gender equality at work, only 41 percent of women agree. ...
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Our Pilot
A human resources partner stated that “the content and small group discussions were valuable in gaining insight into how I can effectively be an ally. ... It also gave me great perspective on how my male colleagues could be thinking about allyship and how I can support them.” Participants consistently mentioned how immediately actionable the program
