In the 21st Century, there is no place for inequality, especially when it comes to women’s rights. It is a fundamental fact that we are all equal yet some men are still obsessed with masculinity to the point that other men feel guilt or shame about the way their fellow men behave, and the way they treat women in such disrespectful and shallow ways. In order to try and banish this outdated attitude, we are now going to take a look at the best ways to be an ally to women.
Listening
We all have had those moments where we have been accused by women of not listening to them, but have you ever taken a step back to think why? To be a good supportive ally it is necessary to allow yourself to be educated by women and then to believe what they are saying by creating awareness around their point of view. If you are criticized do not get defensive and bite back, allow yourself to enter a dialogue and open communication will flow. Putting yourself in this mindset is infectious and other colleagues or friends will see how supporting your relationship has become with women and will follow suit, helping to create a wonderful harmonious atmosphere in the home or the workplace.
Call Out Inequality
If you want to be a truly supportive man then you need to be prepared to call out inequality when you are faced with it, and not be oblivious to the many challenges women face in their lives. If a colleague makes a sexist comment don’t be afraid to pick them up on it and in public. You could make your stance public by embracing feministware or by sharing tweets or videos or memes that support gender equality. All these small acts of support build up and help to create the tsunami of gender awareness we are now beginning to see, which will ultimately help us all to live in a harmonious world.
Seek Out A Female Perspective
It is important to put yourself in women’s shoes and have a perspective of their point of view. It isn’t just good enough to be reading books on feminism, you need to be reading books by women about subjects you would normally read that are written by men. This will allow you to compare and contrast the two viewpoints, which is an extremely valuable tool enabling you to open your eyes to a different perspective. Ask women for suggested reading topics and you will be surprised how enlightened you become.
Respect Boundaries
We all know that no really means no, but why do so many men ignore this and try to push the boundaries? A man has absolutely no right to any woman’s time, energy, respect, attention, or body. All of these things need to be earned. If you receive signals that tell you a woman is not prepared to give you any of these things then take a step back and respect her decision, thereby allowing yourself to be a real man and a perfect ally to women.
Commitment
Commitment in this sense is the commitment to make this a life long journey of educating yourself to the rights of women. The only way to do this is to constantly self analyze and to make sure that whatever decisions you make are made from a female perspective and not just from your own. It is not good enough to put yourself first anymore, men who want to be a real ally will strive to look for ways to support women in their daily lives. It will not be easy and of course, you will make mistakes, but you will come out of the other side feeling enlightened and empowered that you have managed to do what ultimately is right; treat women as equals.
As we have seen being a good ally to a woman is not easy, it takes time and effort, but the rewards are palpable for both sexes. The first step is to listen and to digest what women are really trying to tell you, without becoming defensive. You need to put yourself in their shoes and see things from their perspective, but at all times respecting their boundaries. Once you have mastered these fundamental basics you can start the journey of educating others and calling them out when they make inappropriate gestures or comments. Only then, and after a lifetime’s commitment, will you become a better ally to women, and you will feel all the more rewarded for having become closer to women.
