The power of allyship in the pursuit of gender equality

Allyship is vital if we are to continue to further equality. In this article, we take a look at gender equality and consider the powerful role allyship plays in shifting the dial on discrimination.

Read on to find out how England’s Lionesses brought allyship to the fore in 2022 and France’s ‘La Compil des Bleues’ ad has challenged preconceptions about the women’s World Cup in 2023.  Plus, discover how we’re ‘PoWEring Up Allyship’ with Northern Power Women.

​In 2022 England’s Lionesses brought home the UEFA Women’s Euros championship, in front of record-breaking crowds. To coincide with the tournament EE unveiled its Hope United campaign, ‘Not Her Problem’. The campaign aimed at combatting the online sexist hate that the women’s team faces and encourages men to take an active role in addressing it, with the message ‘Sexist hate stops with men’. To showcase the resilience of women, and encourage men to be allies during the Euros, a new team of footballers – men and women – was assembled, managed by passionate advocate Gareth Southgate.

Lucy Bronze commented, “As women footballers, the sad truth is that we now expect sexist abuse on a near daily basis: it has not only become an inescapable part of the game, but of a woman’s life in the public eye. But it shouldn’t be this way. This is why we are asking men to be allies of women and help stamp out sexism online. It’s great to see so many from the men’s game join the squad: it gives me confidence that we can make a difference.”

This year we’ve seen the FIFA Women’s World Cup, taking place in Australia and New Zealand, which has broken records and smashed stereotypes, with the Lionesses ultimately narrowly losing out to Spain in the final. 

To mark the occasion Orange, who sponsor the French Women’s team, released its ‘La Compil des Bleues’ advert to encourage audiences to rethink how they view the women’s game. The ad features spectacular moments from the women’s games cleverly disguised as superstars of the men’s team through a combination of visual effects and AI. The message ‘Only Les Bleus can give us these emotions. But that’s not them you’ve just seen’ appears before revealing the true players and closing with “At Orange, when we support Les Bleus [France’s men’s team], we support Les Bleues [France’s women’s team]”. 

Orange said its ad is intended to support the athletes fighting for equal footing. “We made the observation that women’s soccer is underestimated, less followed and even mocked while the skills of the players are very impressive and matches can bring as much emotion as those of men,” an Orange spokesperson told CNN. “We wanted to rectify the truth and shift these received ideas.”

A YouGov survey commissioned by EE revealed that 52% of the UK public don’t feel the internet is a safe space for women, and 60% of the UK believe that not enough is being done to tackle online and offline misogyny. Furthermore, nearly half (46%) of people who have seen or experienced online sexism didn’t do anything about it, while 63% of male participants feel men are more responsible than women for misogynistic behaviour online, and 70% of women feel the same way.

The rise and rise of women’s sport in recent years, and campaigns like ‘Not Her Problem’, and ‘La Compil des Bleues’ show us the value of allyship is in the pursuit of gender equality as both ads utilise stars of the men’s game in support of their female counterparts. At Morson we believe that Allyship is vital if we are to continue to further gender equality. Allies must be welcomed and encouraged into any conversation on equality as ultimately it’s through working together that we will shift the dial.

PoWEring Up Allyship with Northern Power Women

We explored the power of influence in a webinar titled PoWEring Up Allyship with diversity powerhouse Northern Power Women.

Adrian Adair, Chief Operating Officer at Morson Group, Afiya Amesu, Co-Founder of She Leads for Legacy, Julie Newton, Head of Inclusion at United Utilities and Ian Whilby, Consultant Adviser Growth Company discussed the many different ways that allies and advocates can truly make a difference in elevating others, opening doors and championing communities.

Take your allyship to the next level. Here are three key takeaways that can enable you to go from passive to active ally and support others.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes

In times where you can see injustices happening, saying nothing is worse than saying the wrong thing. Don’t let your fear of getting it wrong stop you from taking a stand. If you have identified an issue or witnessed discrimination it is important to speak up. Staying neutral will only maintain the status quo and naming a problem is the first step toward finding a resolution. Don’t let your fear of getting it wrong stop you from taking a stand.

“You can never say the wrong thing if it’s from the heart, the person receiving it will welcome it and point you in the right direction” - Ian Whilby

Not everyone’s experiences are homogenous and so we must always be learning. Reading up on issues faced by marginalised people in your industry is a great place to start. Being aware of the issues will allow you to recognise them when they occur in your workplace. Most importantly, listen when someone tells you about their experiences and believe them.

“It’s a constant education, I will always learn, be able to challenge and influence change - diversity is never done.”
- Adrian Adair

Being an ally is a learning process and given the complexity of the many different types of oppression, you’re not going to get it right every time. If someone corrects your use of language or suggests that you might do something different in future, accept their feedback as an opportunity to learn and grow. Everybody makes mistakes, what’s important is how we learn from them.

“A great ally is someone who doesn’t try to be a saviour, they recognise that they’re not trying to rescue people from minoritised groups. They’re trying to support them and advance the equalities agenda.” - Afiya Amesu

Deeds not words

“Diversity isn’t just a desirable objective, it’s a necessity. Young people want to see real action and tangible steps to progress and advance the equality agenda. Social Media posts and empty pledges are no longer enough. Young people want to be able to speak freely, they want a seat at the table and they want to see organisations make real commitment to change.”
- Afiya Amesu

Advocate for others by sharing opportunities when they arise, invite people from marginalised groups to attend important events and make sure that everyone gets an opportunity to speak, uninterrupted, during meetings. Look for opportunities to amplify marginalised voices and always consider whose perspective you may be missing.

“I always used to think of myself as a sponsor, but through the Power Collective and Northern Power Women, my eyes have opened to what allyship means. I’ve always surrounded myself with a diversity of people, of thoughts and it’s so important to make sure that others are championed, promoted, and elevated. In my role, my eyes are open to barriers and I am fortunate to be able to influence change and work to remove them. Importantly, I don’t pull the ladder up after me. And this is what allyship is all about.” - Adrian Adair

Be intentional: recognise opportunities to invest in others

Look around you! Is there someone you can see in your network who would benefit from your advice? Invest in others and help them on their career journey.

“Doors aren’t always there for people to open so if we can provide avenues, routes, corridors for people to find those doors and point them in the right direction then what a great place that will be.” - Julie Newton

There are intersecting ways in which people can be discriminated against, but there are so many ways that people can advocate for one another. For example, the male football players showcasing allyship in the ‘Not Her Problem’ campaign are hugely powerful because of their influence within the football community. Consider your influence and how your actions can be an example to others to do good.

Being an ally is something in which we all can take an active role. It doesn’t take changes in policies, prodecures or processes. It takes awareness. If we look for opportunities to champion marginalised groups, and listen to and accept feedback with empathy, every one of us can make a difference. Whether that’s supporting the Lionesses or putting forward colleagues for an opportunity they may otherwise not have been considered for.

Allyship isn’t a quick win. It requires continuous effort and the desire to go out of your way to support others in need. However, no matter your gender, religion, ethnicity, job, or experience there is always something you can do for someone else.

We pride ourselves on being an equal opportunities employer that provides an inclusive environment to candidates and employees alike. We believe that diversity of thought promotes innovation by bringing multiple perspectives to discussions and decisions. We are committed to improving the diversity of our company and building inclusive cultures every day. Find out more about Morson’s ED&I work.