The 8 Tenets of Male Allyship
Everyday Principles for Lasting Change
We’ve spoken about how male allyship can be hard to start or continue when men aren’t sure what to do. It’s something we come across all the time in our work. That’s why we developed the 8 Tenets of Male Allyship – practical principles that men can use to guide them on their allyship journey.
They work hand in hand with our CAUSES framework and Male Allyship Continuum which we use to help organisations understand how effective allies are developed and supported.
Living these tenets will mean allyship is embedded into all parts of life: caring, behaviour, self-development, and bringing others with you. Read on to find out more about them.
The 8 tenets
1. Caregive loudly
Allyship starts with care – for people, communities, and the planet. Caregiving loudly asks men to role-model empathy and balance, not hide it. Whether that means leaving work to collect your child, checking in on a colleague, or advocating for wellbeing – visible care normalises humanity at work.
When men demonstrate care openly, they make it easier for others to do the same. It challenges the myth that success requires self-sacrifice and shows that inclusion begins with compassion.
2. Set the standard
Every workplace has cultural cues about what’s tolerated. Allies redefine those cues. Setting the standard means being the person who speaks when others stay silent – calling out sexist banter, challenging bias, and modelling fairness in everyday decisions.
It’s not about being perfect, it’s about being consistent. When men lead by example they give permission for others to follow.
3. Share the benefits
Gender equality isn’t a zero–sum game. Everyone gains when workplaces are fair, flexible, and inclusive. Sharing the benefits reminds men that allyship isn’t about losing power, it’s about using it well.
Allies understand that inclusive teams perform better, retention improves, and relationships strengthen. They talk about these wins openly – shifting the story from guilt to growth.
4. Be present
Presence means paying attention. Who’s not in the room? Who’s being interrupted? Who’s doing the invisible work?
Being present transforms good intentions into awareness. It’s noticing imbalance in real time and choosing to act on it – whether by redirecting credit, making space in a meeting, or asking whose voice hasn’t been heard.
When men are truly present, inclusion becomes observable – not abstract.
5. Know where you’re standing
Allyship is about movement. Sometimes you step forward to challenge, step sideways to collaborate, and step back to yield space.
Knowing where you’re standing means using position and privilege deliberately. In practice, it might mean speaking up when bias appears, sharing the platform in meetings, or ensuring credit flows to the right people.
The goal is balance – acting with awareness of when your presence amplifies and when it overshadows.
6. Bring others with you
True allies multiply themselves. They mentor, sponsor, and advocate for others – particularly women and under-represented colleagues.
Bringing others with you is both a challenge and an invitation. It asks men to open doors, share networks, and invest in others’ progress. Sponsorship is about responsibility – using influence to shift who gets seen and supported – and has been shown to have more of a positive impact to women’s careers than mentorship.
When men lift others, systems begin to shift.
7. Continue to unlearn and rediscover
We’ve all been shaped by systems that define what success, leadership, and masculinity should look like. Continuing to unlearn means questioning those assumptions – not once, but continually.
It’s reflective work: recognising bias, owning mistakes, and being open to feedback. This personal work results in a more grounded, authentic way of leading that values connection over control.
Allyship grows when men choose learning over defensiveness.
8. Sustain your action
Allyship is a verb. It’s what you do when no one is watching.
Sustaining your action means staying engaged when it’s uncomfortable, repetitive, or when attention has moved on. It’s checking in, keeping promises, and treating inclusion as part of performance – not an optional extra.
Culture change happens when allyship endures beyond the moment – when it’s how things are done, not what’s occasionally discussed.
From principle to practice
The 8 Tenets bring consistency to good intentions. They complement the Male Allyship Continuum, which helps men understand where they are on the journey, and the CAUSES Framework which guides how learning and motivation deepen over time.
Together, they create a complete system:
- The Continuum defines readiness
- The CAUSES Framework builds learning
- The 8 Tenets turn that learning into everyday behaviour
When men live these principles, allyship moves from theory to habit. These tenets can either be a starting point or a framework to come back to if you need bolstering on your journey.
Building cultures where allyship lasts
At Male Allies UK, we help organisations turn these tenets into tangible change. Through workshops, coaching, and leadership programmes, we guide men to live these values in meetings, in policy, and in moments that matter most.
If your organisation is ready to move from awareness to sustained action, we can help you bring the 8 Tenets to life. Let’s make allyship happen.