Recipe for Success: Male Allyship — The Role Men Play in Promoting Fairness in the Workplace

There’s already a lot of talk about gender equality — but in our view, it’s still nowhere near enough. That’s because most of this discussion takes place among women, for women, and with women. Men often appear in this debate only as the target audience, and rarely as active participants. Yet gender equality remains incomplete if men are not included as allies. As long as power, resources, and decision-making authority are unevenly distributed, it is not enough for only those who are themselves affected by inequality to advocate for change.

What Is Male Allyship?

Men who use their privileged position to advocate for disadvantaged groups are generally referred to as male allies. A male ally is aware of the existing inequality between the situations of women and men in the workplace and questions actions and statements that relate to women’s professional circumstances. He actively participates in bringing about change toward a more equitable workplace. Anyone can be a male ally, regardless of rank, role, or industry. In this blog post, we are referring to men who support women in a professional context.

What Are the Benefits of Male Allyship?

Male allies are a vital part of a fair, high-performing, and diverse workplace. Male allyship offers benefits for the company, for men themselves, and for their female colleagues.

• Male allyship pays off for the company! Studies have repeatedly shown that companies with greater diversity are 62% more profitable ₁. Companies with diverse leadership teams are more successful, more innovative, and more sustainable.
• Male allyship pays off for men! As the Robert Koch Institute points out, masculinity stereotypes harm men’s health, as evidenced by lower life expectancy, riskier behavior, and fewer preventive health screenings ₂. However, men not only benefit from diversity initiatives in terms of their health, but their well-being in the workplace also improves ₃.
• Male allyship pays off for everyone! Even a single male supporter of diversity can lead to women in the company experiencing less hostility and more respect ₄. This not only fosters a stronger sense of psychological safety but also increases the likelihood of more women in leadership positions.

So why don’t more men stand up for their female colleagues?

Although 97% of men who actively engage as allies benefit from doing so, according to a recent study, only 37% of the men surveyed actually act as active supporters in the workplace ₅. This gap between positive benefits and actual engagement raises the question of what psychological and societal barriers lie behind it.

The fact that some men — consciously or unconsciously — feel threatened by diversity measures such as initiatives to promote women is evident, among other things, in their rejection, downplaying, or irritated reactions. These are expressed, for example, in statements like: “Enough has been done by now,” “Men are actually the ones being disadvantaged these days,” or “Is that really our biggest problem?”

The reasons for this resistance are complex. They stem from deep-seated assumptions about the world that are learned from an early age. These include the normalization of a social order in which Men structurally have more power, influence, and advantages than women. Historical research shows that so-called patriarchy is not biologically determined, but rather began with the transition to a sedentary lifestyle. The rationale for the newly emerging divisions of roles between men and women at that time was developed only gradually by religions and other institutions of power. This served to secure the patriarchal dividend — that is, the often unconscious advantages that men derive from these structures. Added to this is the (erroneous) assumption that we live in a society where performance determines how successful someone is — a so-called meritocracy. People who believe that, in our society, those who perform best are the ones who succeed see no reason for diversity measures. On the contrary, they find them unfair. In reality, however, it is clear that (professional) success is determined not only by objective performance but also by many other factors that reflect biases and perceptual distortions. Because these patterns of thought are deeply embedded in society and everyday life, it is difficult for many people to break free from them.

Men are confronted with many expectations that are reflected in the concept of hegemonic masculinity—the societal ideal of “proper” masculinity, such as being strong, dominant, and emotionally controlled. This also includes ideals such as “You must win, solve your problems on your own, and must not give in to women.” Living up to all these expectations every day requires an enormous amount of effort. At the same time, there is the risk of failing to meet these expectations. This is also referred to as precarious, or unstable, masculinity.

Diversity initiatives, on the other hand, do not fit into this image of masculinity. They contradict the expectations mentioned above and threaten the hegemonic image of masculinity. This gives rise to thoughts such as: “As a male ally, am I still masculine enough, and will I continue to be respected by others?”

Why Do We Need Male Allies?

It is precisely because of this resistance that we need male allies. Men are better at reaching other men. A study by Eckerle et al. (2023) at the University of Marburg shows that men reacted more positively and openly to questions about privilege when the criticism came from other men rather than from women ₆. This is where the so-called ingroup effect comes into play: When men support diversity, other men feel less threatened by the idea that these measures might make them seem less masculine. The criticism is generally perceived as more legitimate and objective.
In addition, moral considerations come into play: Wouldn’t it be fairer to adapt existing structures so that qualifications actually matter and men are not favored based on stereotypes? Furthermore, male allies can serve as effective role models for other men.

What can men do, specifically?

Male allies don’t speak for women; instead, they are aware of their own privileges and give women the space to have their needs heard. Whether as a colleague or a manager:

• Highlight the work of your female colleagues.
• Let them speak their minds in meetings.
• Highlight your female colleagues’ positive achievements to others.
• Offer to mentor or sponsor high-potential women.
• Advocate for part-time work arrangements,
• Consciously include women in your networks!

The actual distribution of care work is also crucial. Male allies are therefore also aware of their role as partners, husbands, or fathers. This includes taking on responsibilities in the household, with childcare, in caring for parents, and so on. Support the women in your circle in their professional development. Encourage them to apply for leadership positions. Educate yourself on these topics and critically examine your previous assumptions.
Isn’t it enough to simply stay out of it? Not participating in active discrimination is good. However, studies show that even bystanders — that is, men who neither consciously advocate for nor against diversity — have a negative influence, as they perpetuate existing unfair structures. Men who actively advocate against discrimination against women, on the other hand, are perceived particularly positively ₇.

Conclusion

Male allyship offers many benefits for the company. It is a key success factor that translates into increased profits, improved health and well-being, and a more equitable workplace. In addition, male allyship can help facilitate other necessary diversity initiatives. These include, for example, transitioning to transparent hiring processes or raising awareness about unconscious biases in everyday work.
FLD offers support to help you promote male allyship and other measures for gender equity in your company.

“When men advocate for women, workplaces become more innovative, more resilient, and more successful.” (Catalyst – Men as Allies)

 

 

Sources:

[1] McKinsey & Company (2024): Diversity matters even more: Die Bedeutung von Vielfalt für den Geschäftserfolg wird immer stärker. https://www.mckinsey.de/news/presse/2024-03-06-diversity-matters-even-more#/ [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

[2] Robert Koch Institut (2014): Gesundheitliche Lage der Männer in Deutschland. Beiträge zur Gesundheitsberichterstattung des Bundes. https://edoc.rki.de/handle/176904/3246 [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

[3] Yoon, M.Y.; Joshi, A.; Dang, C.T. (2023): Male Privilege Awareness and Relational Well-Being at Work: An Allyship Pathway. https://pure.psu.edu/en/publications/male-privilege-awareness-and-relational-well-being-at-work-an-all/ [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

[4] Moser, C. E.; Branscombe, N. R. (2021): Male Allies at Work: Gender-Equality Supportive Men Reduce Negative Underrepresentation Effects Among Women. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/19485506211033748 [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

[5] Fair Play Talks Editorial Team (2025): Male Allyship at Work: Not Enough Men Stepping Up as Allies, Study shows. https://www.fairplaytalks.com/2025/02/25/male-allyship-at-work-not-enough-men-stepping-up-as-allies-study-shows/ [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

[6] Eckerle, F.; Liensen, C. S.; Cohrs, C. J. (2024): How do members of a perpetrator group negotiate multiple past ingroup transgressions? A German case study. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17506980241247269 [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

[7] Travis, M. (2024): How Men Can Benefit From Challenging Sexism At Work, According To New Study. https://www.forbes.com/sites/michelletravis/2024/06/25/new-study-reveals-why-men-should-challenge-sexism-at-work/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=forbes&utm_term=se-women [last accessed on 15.07.2026].

 

other Sources:

Institut fr Diversity Management: https://diversity-institut.de/

Connell, R. W. (2005). Masculinities (2nd ed.). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press. ISBN 9780745634265