M


en are often unaware of the daily challenges women face in the workplace and some do not really understand women’s


lived experience at work, says Mark Freed, managing director of Men for Inclusion. Combined with a narrow focus on their own career goals, some men therefore question why women need help and why men should be part of the movement to drive change. Mark is an advocate for transforming


workplaces into truly diverse environments. Men for Inclusion was launched in 2021 after frustration at the pace of change towards delivering a more inclusive and diverse financial services industry. While acknowledging some men are already very active in supporting and encouraging female colleagues, Mark says there is also a cohort of men who see equality as something that does not concern them or even something to be actively resisted.


HOW TO RAISE AWARENESS OF WOMEN’S CHALLENGES Mark calls these two groups of men “Passives” and “Resistors” because they are either indifferent to or actively opposed to culture change. They can be found in many organisations. One reason why successfully embedding diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) principles can be a challenge in some workplace settings is because this group of men is unconvinced of the merits of change, even after taking part in equality training programmes. “The mindset of the Passives and


Resistors comes from being blind to women’s experiences and a feeling of ‘why should I care?’” he explains. “These men might feel that they are at the same level as their female colleagues and they face their own pressures as a man to get a promotion and a big job. They have the mindset of ‘why should I help you? What’s in it for me?’


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GLOBAL LEADERSHIP SUPPLEMENT


CULTURE


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