We see the term “gender inequality” and we think of women—and for good reason. But we need men to get off the sidelines, and move the ball up the field as well.

The key to getting men more involved is to reframe the goal. When we all understand that gender equality is not just about advancing women but about assuring equitable outcomes for everyone, we will make great strides to dismantle this systemic problem that is rife in our workplaces.

Men are unsure about how, where, and when to join the gender equity fight. The first step is knowing what the problem is. Figuring out solutions to the issue is another. Men need some direction, encouragement, and engagement to overcome their wariness. In short, they need leadership.

Stepping Up and Leading the Conversation

These conversations can be challenging for leaders, especially if they’re men. Misunderstandings can arise quickly if people are not willing to give one another the benefit of the doubt. However, such conversations are possible and unquestionably essential. Non‐defensive, blame‐free discussions are needed to start this process.

Leaders must address core concerns, including these listed below, to persuade men that ending gender inequality is an essential component of their overall responsibilities:

1. It’s Not My Fight

Men can be reluctant to actively advocate for workplace gender equality because they don’t see it as their fight. Workplace gender equality is seen by many men as a woman’s issue, a woman’s objective, and a woman’s fight in which they have no legitimate stake.

When the objective is characterized as increasing women’s power, resources, or status, men don’t see that as their issue. When men do assume a role in gender diversity efforts, they often see themselves—and can be seen by women—as outsiders.

2. Fear of Backlash

Some men hesitate to participate in diversity efforts out of fear—either of facing disapproval or a concern of losing status. Men who criticize other men who advocate for women’s advancement often stems from their belief that such advocacy is inconsistent with traditional male values.

There are a variety of reasons why many women are skeptical of men’s sincerity when they publicly advocate for women’s advancement. Thus, the skepticism and hostility men can experience from women often reflects women’s belief that ending gender inequality is a woman’s issue in which men have no legitimate stake.

By reframing efforts to assure fairness, opportunity, and equity for everyone, men’s active involvement should not appear to be suspicious or out of place.

3. Concern About Saying “the Wrong Thing”

The American Bar Association’s (ABA) 2022 report, Commission on Women in the Profession concluded that a key reason that men don’t collaborate with women to end gender inequality is their fear of “saying the wrong thing.”

To become active participants in efforts to end gender inequality, men need to feel comfortable in honestly expressing their opinions, perspectives, and concerns. This means that women need to be prepared to invite men into gender initiatives without being too quick to criticize attitudes that are not as “advanced” as they would like.22 Men need to be able to openly express their perspectives, beliefs, and experiences without being viewed as cavemen.

At the same time, men must be prepared to thoughtfully listen to what women have to say, to honestly engage with women, and to be willing to change their thinking as women’s concerns come into clearer focus. In other words, women and men must be willing to engage in non‐defensive, blame‐free dialogues. Such conversations can be tricky because one side or the other can easily be misunderstood. But if women and men are patient and willing to give one another the benefit of the doubt, such conversations are possible and unquestionably essential to the collaboration needed to end workplace gender inequality.

4. Not Knowing How, When, and Where to Advocate for Gender Equality

More than half of all men who responded to the ABA survey reported that not knowing how to support women was a significant reason that they did not participate in gender equality initiatives.

Apart from expressing support for gender equality, knowing what else to do can be puzzling, particularly given the ineffectiveness of most existing diversity initiatives. This conundrum exists for women and men. No one should have any doubts about what they can do to advance workplace equality. This is precisely why we developed PATH, so there can be no ambiguity or uncertainty as to how to proceed forward.

5. Men Feel They Are “Too Busy” to Get Involved

We often male senior executives say their responsibilities prevent them from taking on gender equality initiatives. But they must understand that ending gender inequality is not tangential to their core responsibilities, rather it is essential to effectively accomplish them by helping to drive productivity, foster employee engagement, build stronger teams, and ultimately increase profits and the bottom line.

Research studies bear this out. According to Deloitte, “Diversity of thinking is a wellspring of creativity, enhancing innovation by about 20%. It also enables groups to spot risk, reducing these by up to 30%. And it smooths the implementation of decisions by creating buy‐in and trust.” A 2017 analysis by Cloverpop revealed that gender‐diverse teams made more effective decisions 73% of the time—compared with just 58% of the time for all‐male teams.

This is men’s fight because it is about them being more successful at their jobs.

Men Need Role Models

Regardless of the benefits of diverse and inclusive workplaces and teams, men are reluctant to participate in initiatives designed to end gender inequality unless they believe and see other men are participating in those efforts.  When they see other men they respect and trust already in the fight, men will view their participation as the expected thing to do.

Workplace gender inequality is systemic. Men need to be fully engaged, be honest about its existence, and work alongside women to disrupt and end it. When both sexes are at the forefront of the gender equality fight, more men will stop being reluctant to join.