We’ve often been asked when we’re starting badass.guy - and our response is always that badass.gal is a community that welcomes men too. We may be a platform which is about celebrating and sharing the work of female creatives, but there is no reason why men can’t be part of that conversation.
So as today’s International Men’s day (yep, it is actually a thing) we want to encourage more men to nominate women in their teams, to share the work of female creatives and to understand just what it means to be an ally, because as male and female co-founders, we know that we work best when we work together.
5 steps to becoming an ally:
LISTEN TO UNDERSTAND
The simplest, yet most important thing you can do is to listen to female voices. And when we say listen, we mean actively listening to understand, instead of listening to reply. The more we take in and learn from each other, the better we can work together.GET COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE
Be the only man in a room. Put yourself in places you may not feel comfortable yet. With emphasis on the ‘yet’. It’s important we step outside of our comfort zones and into other’s worlds in order to understand them and learn.CALL OUT INEQUALITY
Don’t be afraid to speak up. It’s important to remember it’s not the role of the minority in the room to call out inequalities. If you feel something isn’t right, that’s most likely because it’s not. So don’t be afraid to use your voice to speak up and stand up for what is right. The more we make this the norm, the more normal it will become.KNOW & SHARE THEIR WORK
Fill your twitter feed with female voices. Diversify your instagram followers. Share stories and work written and created by women. Know the names of female directors. Share the words of female poets, art of female artists. Get to know their work.CHAMPION TALENT
And finally it’s important to champion the female talent in your teams, whether you’re the boss or not. Get to know them, be their biggest cheerleaders, put them forward for awards, for promotions. And as always, nominate them to be a Badass.gal
And don’t just take it from us, over the years badass.gal has been fortunate to work with and gain the support of a number of brilliant, forward thinking men from within the creative industry. So here’s some of their best advice for how you too can become an ally for women and help create change. 🙌
Tolu Farinto - Changer-Maker at Utopia
“I think some important ingredients to allyship is the willingness to learn as well as accountability and with that in mind, really listening to the challenges and lived experiences of women in the industry is important to understanding how men can be allies in the right way. That we don't put our idea of allyship over actual needs of the people we seek to be allies to. We must also hold ourselves accountable and do something!”
Dan saxby - Co-founder of The Elephant Room
“There is no shortage of talented womxn in our industry. As a leader, I see my role as building confidence if it is lacking, create space and platforms for amazing talent to shine and then ensure I pass the mic.”
Andy Nairn - Founding partner of Lucky Generals
"As Cindy Gallop has pointed out, the best kind of allyship is the kind which hires, promotes and pays properly. So I'd recommend putting all your energy into actions like this, rather than nice words."
Richard Robinson - Managing Director at Xeim, Econsultancy and Oystercatchers
“It’s OK to not know the answers, but it’s not OK to perpetuate the status quo. I’d like you to consider doing two things, both of which have transformed my life:
Open your circle:
Ask yourself who’s in your immediate circle at work, at home, in your family, on your social media feeds. Is everyone white, or from the same social class, or maybe the same gender or sexuality? Explore why your innermost circle is as it is; these are your trusted confidants and greatest friends, the people you admire the most – but who in your circle is giving you points of difference to challenge and grow your knowledge and understanding of the world we all live and work in?
Run towards the future, not away from it. And do it now:
You’re never too young to learn, you’re never too old to be schooled. Listen, learn, educate yourself, accept that being a man comes with privilege. Get involved with any of the many female networks in the industry, talk to them and ask what they need from you – and then do it without question or hesitation.”
Sulaiman KHAN - Founder and Chief Purpose Officer at ThisAbility
“In a dramatically shifting world and in these precarious times, men are often the purveyors of harm and still don’t see the benefits of dismantling the patriarchy. However, having equity and intersectionality in society where womxn can be an included aspect of the world is what we should aim for. My advice to men on how they can do this is to dismantle system(s) of oppression - and more importantly, don’t place the burden of learning how to do this on those who are oppressed. I believe it is vital to be aware of our privilege and stand up for everyone (even if their struggle doesn’t affect us) and to do the work ourselves. For me, womxn are the ones that have supported me most and create so much ‘richness’ in my life, so I actively work daily not to be a part of any form of toxicity.”
Danny Pallett -
Co-founder of Badass.gal & Senior Creative at Dark Horses
"Turn up to events that don’t sound like they’re for you, openly ask questions you don’t know the answer to, get things wrong, feel uncomfortable, learn and most importantly action what you learn."