Are you Really a HeforShe Ally?

Author: Eric Weng

Keywords: gender equity, ally, allyship, HeforShe

If I had to make a disruptive prediction, I would say that men continually find themselves in disbelief when told that they aren’t doing enough for #heforshe allies. On September 25th I sat with my jaws touching the floor beneath me listening to Drs. Brad Johnson and David Smith presentation titled, “Cultivating HeForShe Allies: How to Find and Develop Productive Profession Relationships with Male Allies.” As I listen, I begin to ask myself, “How could I have been so oblivious?”

As an undergraduate student in the pursuit of eventually matriculating to medical school, I was honored to be able to sit on a team full of empowering physicians, PhDs, medical students of all years, and faculty during the annual “Women in Medicine Summit” held by founder and chair Dr. Shikha Jain. More about the accomplishments and revolutionary movements of Dr. Jain can be found on her website. Across the board ranging from the main conference to break-off discussion sessions nothing fell short of this year’s title, “Evolution of empowerment.” Particularly the presentation by Dr. Johnson and Dr. Smith. Dr. Brad Johnson, PhD is a professor of psychology in the Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law at the United States Naval Academy; Dr. David Smith, PhD, is a co-author of the book, Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace and Associate Professor in the Johns Hopkins Carey Business. More about Dr. Johnson and Dr. Smith’s work and book can be found on their websites. 

Dr. Johnson and Smith begin their presentation with eye-opening statistics showing how men and women are not on the same page in terms of allyship. Reported male involvement in gender diversity programs is at an all-time high, yet if these numbers are accurate the true question is, is that enough? And if so, why do we still have a persistent gender gap in healthcare? More particularly, why do men continue to dominate leadership positions even though more women matriculate into medical school.  

Dr. Johnson states from Promundo’s “So you want to be a male ally for gender equality? (And you should):” that, “77% of men agree that they are doing everything they can to advance gender equality while only 41% of women agree with this.” He also states that, “89% of men believe that they are good listeners to women reaching out about an experience of workplace harassment while only 58% of women agree to this.” If indeed, these numbers are to be believed, how do we translate an inherent desire to improve the system into actionable change with measurable solutions? How can we change the momentum of these equity movements into strategic, innovative change to finally close the gender gap in healthcare?

We can start by asking why. Why is it that women account for the majority of medical school students but only make up 12% of medical school deans, 12% of department chairs, and 19% of full-time professors? This is answered by the lack of mentorship for women in medicine. Men often hold the power positions in these systems. With that being said, men in these power positions are more consistent with mentorship and sponsoring career-enhancing opportunities for men, but not as likely for women. However, possibilities for men to mentor and sponsor career-enhancing opportunities for women in healthcare are widely presented in meetings, projects, and everyday interactions. So why is it that men are not jumping at these opportunities? Dr. Johnson states in the research he did for Athena Rising that the bottom-line of men’s hesitance stems from a battle of interpersonal allyship- a war rages with the stigma that has been created around the inability to collaborate with women unless in a romantic or sexual way. It also does not help that in recent years this has been exacerbated by confusion around the #MeToo movement. False narratives created by the #MeToo movement are driving men in these positions of power to avoid working with women. They have become uncomfortable with fear of giving women the wrong impression and ultimately facing the potential of sexual harassment or assault allegations. 

There are several actionable changes that can be used to alleviate this problem. Firstly, HeforShe allies should push back on these false narratives and reaffirm everybody that these are not universal cases. Another possible option is to eliminate the negative stigma around having men mentor and sponsor women in the workplace. Research shows that when men mentor and sponsor women in the workplace they often help accelerate their course to success. Relating to this idea, HeforShe allies should champion for women protégés in new roles and opportunities since this encourages other women to seek these same career advancements. As a result, this creates a more diverse workplace and improvements in team finances, decision making, and job satisfaction.

Beyond the changes made at an interpersonal level, actionable changes in public allyship also needs to be accomplished before systemic change to the gender gap can be made. Often, women are found to have less impactful voices in meetings and are thus more likely disregarded. Dr. Smith affirms that in the research he has done for Athena Rising, women have stated that “they feel invisible in the workplace” or that, “they feel like they have to work twice as hard.” Furthermore, women are constantly faced with a descriptive and prescriptive bias. When women lead in what is described traditionally as a “masculine way”, they are labeled as bossy. And if they lead in a “feminine way”, they are weak and unimpactful. 

To tackle this conflict, having listening skills and developing empathy as to how women might be experiencing the workplace differently is very important; as a male ally making sure that their ideas are being heard and credibility are received will aid in closing the gender gap. Additionally, taking the step to disrupt male colleagues when they make ill and unwanted comments let women know that there are allies in the workplace. Saying things like “I did not find that funny,” or “I do not like how you are treating women in this facility” can make a great impact. These disruptions bring attention and accountability towards unwanted comments and actions. These actions not only validate women's ideas in the workplace, but also motivate other men in creating an alliable environment. Our desire to close the gender gap with actionable changes means to understand that these double standards need to be terminated. 

The formula for closing the gender gap in healthcare is clear. Now, more than ever, is the time to act- to educate your peers and colleagues of actionable changes to be made. As previously stated, closing the gender gap not only creates a better environment but also benefits the business and team in performance and success. I ask you to join hands with me in doing more than just the bare minimum in cultivating #heforshe allies and advancing one step further in closing the gender gap in healthcare. 

About the author: Eric Weng is currently an aspiring medical student in his gap year. During this time, he works as a Certified Medical scribe in the Hematology/ Oncology Outpatient Clinic at the University of Illinois’s Hospital in Chicago. Previously, Eric earned his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from UIC along with a minor in Chemistry and Entrepreneurship. During his time at UIC, he was a D1 swimmer and honors college student. He was also a recipient of UIC’s Honors College Undergraduate Research Fund in which he successfully led his own research project within UIC’s College of Applied Health Sciences.