International Men’s Day – Empowering Men towards a better tomorrow

International Men’s Day is an opportunity to acknowledge the men in our lives and empower them. As we all know, a large section of the society is predominantly male, they too have their challenges which most times go unnoticed. Our social constructs are dynamic – they are constantly evolving, therefore, the expectations of how men should lead their lives should also change.

The theme for this year’s ‘International Men’s Day’ is focused on raising awareness of men’s issues and inspiring them through positive male role models. We must do so and help remove the undue pressures of masculine contests from men and boys.

A research published in the journal of social sciences reveals that masculine contests in any organisations harm men and women within them. The research stated that men would go out of their way to hide their vulnerability. They were reluctant to talk about work and family pressures. They were focused on showing off strength and stamina, ruthless competition at work and a work environment where taking breaks or leaves was frowned upon among men led to organisational dysfunction. 

Doing away with the toxic masculine work culture can lead to better lives for the men around us. It’s time we understand and support ways to empower the men in our lives. Here are a few ways you can do so:

Support paternity leave for new fathers:

Research by Promundo reveals that fewer than half the fathers worldwide take paternity leave on offer. Fathers worry about career setbacks and social norms at present indicate that caregiving is mostly a woman’s duty. Encouraging men to take leaves and breaks is the way forward and will help men achieve the ideal work-life balance. In India, Zomato has made a landmark move to provide a 26-week paternity leave for achieving gender balance. Companies emulating Zomato and allaying fears of male employees about job securities will empower them in the long run and help achieve an equitable workplace.

The business case for protecting gay men from discrimination:

A 2016 research by Mingle reveals that 65% consider D&I and LGBT policies before making a decision to join a company in India. This is the business case for empowering the LGBT+ community in your organisation.

It would not only lead to a productive work environment but is key to attracting the right talent. Being compassionate to the LGBT+ community and encouraging vulnerable allies will go a long way towards LGBT+ inclusion.

Inspire specially-abled men through positive role models:

You can inspire specially-abled men to follow their dreams through role modelling. After all, the specially-abled can have superpowers too if we can motivate them to go #limitless! Moving the focus from showing off strength and stamina to perseverance will inspire diversity at large!

At the India Inclusion Summit 2019, Prathap R spoke about his experiences. Prathap was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at the age of four, he now works at a multinational bank as a senior business analyst and has dedicated his life to defying stereotypes.

Overcome executive isolation:

In most board rooms across the world men make up most of the numbers, we must understand the issues these men face. ‘It’s lonely at the top but the view is great’ is often quoted. So how does one decrease executive isolation? Always ensure you have a group around you who will give you the bad news when necessary as opposed to those who choose to keep you happy. This will enable your organisation to grow and can improve the efficacy of your decisions.

 Make sexual harassment policies gender-neutral:

People always assume the women are the only ones at the receiving end harassment, the current sexual harassment legislation is a testament to that view. Often men can be victims of sexual harassment too. A good way of curbing this is introducing gender-neutral sexual offences policies, ensuring that a workplace is a safe place for everyone. In the bid to making workplaces safer Senior Advocate, KTS Tulsi has introduced the bill before the Rajya Sabha to make sexual offences gender-neutral.

Since men make up the bulk of the workforce at any organization today, it is easy to forget about their concerns and focus on minority groups within organizations. We must ensure that our men are in a space where they can work comfortably and realize their full potential.

Diversity and inclusion must take into account every groups big or small everyone must be represented, included and paid attention too. We must encourage men and also be supportive of their aspirations in having fulfilling lives both at the personal and professional fronts.

 

We at Interweave would like to take this opportunity to wish men everywhere 

Happy International Men’s Day!

 

At Interweave Consulting, among our focus areas is ‘Prevention of Sexual Harassment Training,’ ‘Men As Allies,’ and ‘A Fine Balance (Gender),’ training programmes. We make inclusion your competitive advantage across diversity spectrums.

To know more about our offerings write to us at interweavesolutions@interweave.in or call us at 80 4148 2787.

Sandra Sebastian