TRUTH OF THE MATTER ABOUT EQUALITY AND MEN BEING ALLIES TO WOMEN

Ever heard of a cliche😂yeah, here i am once again with the same topic on equality in the field of stem and underepresentation of women in stem . Let’s just be honest about what happens currently and what mentality we should have about this matter.

How does equality relate to men being allies to women in STEM?

Equality is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talent.

Most males feel like its not in their place to support women because currently most organizations especially in technology are advocating for women and if an opportunity arises and its down to a male with high points compared to a female ,she gets the opportunity.

This frustrates the “ boy child” as they state that they worked as hard for the opportunity as well.With this in mind males decide to ally with other males for their prosperity leaving the female in a state of isolation.

I decided to look at it in the “boy child” angle but yet again, we are changing a narrative here.Women have been secluded for years from the stem field. They have been allocated secretarial ,housekeeping and tailoring jobs etc as they weren’t being perceived as being capable to contribute to science,engineering,math and technology industries.

This dates back to the time when the African “ girl child” education was neglected and opportunities handed over to the boy child.In secondary school/high schools, you find a high number of girls rely on humanities for a passing grade compared to math and sciences. Why is this?

I have heard of cases where a woman is given an IT specialist position and then loaded with data entry responsibilities.

Despite the position,they are underestimated to perform certain tasks. You may find she got hired to balance the ratio male to female in the societies eyes.

This is the narrative that has frustrated many to advocate for women to be given equal opportunity in the stem field.I advocate for equity as well as equality. If the male is well suited for the opportunity compared to the female,He should be given the opportunity. No bias.

If you are looking to hire females in order to ensure equal opportunities to all, indicate that in the job description. Every individual deserves equal opportunity in all sectors. Men can be beauticans as well as women can be constructors.

Back to the allies. I would like to campaign towards men being allies to women in stem. Their are a lot of cases about how women are treated in work places.

• Underestimation of capabilities.
• Seclusion from complex projects.
• Experience sexism.
• Demotivation due to lack of appreciation .
• Dismission of ideas suggested by women.
• Limited opportunities to women such as promotions .
• Unequal pay.

This are but a few things that women in stem go through in their day to day work not only from men but women too who feel like they can’t approach another woman for help because of the assumption male are more knowledgable.

How can men become allies to women in stem.

If you are a male and wonder how you can support women and help them feel comfortable enough to express their ideas and opinions. Here goes.

• Congragulate a women on her success.She earned it stepping out of her comfort zone and having the confidence to do something never done before should receive high recognition.
• Respect a woman in your work place. Don’t try make her uncomfortable by acting inappropriate physically or emotionally.This decreases confidence and you find that affecting the women work deliverables or their output.
• Share your knowledge with them. Help them where they may be stuck by not making them feel bad about it but by being empathetic,sharing ideas to help out and giving constructive feedback.
• Include them in your ideation team and let them contribute. You will be surprised how diversity brings a lot of success in a business.
• Campaign for them to be considered for a promotion.
• Call out any inequality you may see in the office against your fem colleague.

There are many ways men can be allies of women in stem but point to note is that women also need to accept help from men and not feel ashamed or incompetent about being given some poimters and constructive critism to help them grow in their area of expertise.

We all have a role to play. Let’s be more about equality and equity and less about which gender is superior. Let’s advocate for diversity and inclusion for all.

Took long enough to post this😂but all are welcome to share your thoughts on this.