Male allyship is yet to go mainstream, which means men who are vocal and visible in the fight for gender equity are few and far between.
This lack of male representation can mean when a man does stand up and talk about this, we fall over ourselves in admiration. What a great guy. Selfless. One of few willing to be vulnerable and put his reputation with other men on the line by bringing attention to this important issue. He must be recognised for his service!
What is the pedestal effect?
This is the pedestal effect – raising the few vocal men up on a pedestal and celebrating them speaking out when we have ignored or questioned women who have been saying and doing the same (or bigger) things for much longer.
We all love to be recognised, so why shouldn’t we be giving men shout-outs and special treatment for small acts of gender equality?
For a start, it feels like a bit of a blow to the women who have been campaigning around gender equity for years. Decades for some. They have carried the brunt of the work and emotional labour for all this time, often with pushback in place of recognition. So to see a male colleague who, despite being very welcome to join the conversation, is then treated completely differently and far more favourably to them. You can see how that double standard stings.
Men Stepping Forward by Elisabeth Kelan perfectly illustrated this unfair reaction:
‘Research has shown that women who are change agents for gender equality are less effective because it is presumed that they are engaging in the process for instrumental reasons. It is presumed that women are advocates for gender equality because this can advance their own career. …
Men in contrast are seen as more effective advocates for gender equality for the opposite reasons. Their engagement is seen as altruistic because they do not seek to advance their own career opportunities. While men can actually advance their career through being change makers for gender, the common perception is that men are change markers for gender equality without expecting personal gains’.
What is performative allyship?
We also need to be mindful that the pedestal effect can look rather appealing to some men. A way to gain a platform, following, and money.
A great deal of inner work needs to go into unlearning a lifetime of patriarchy and misogyny before men can step into true allyship for women. Not to discourage anyone from starting, but you shouldn’t want to be raised up and celebrated as soon as you dip your toe in the conversation.
However, performative allies do want this, and take advantage of it.
Performative allies are allies only in declaration, not in action. They say some of the right things in order to bask in the glory of being one of the ‘good guys’ only to fail to back up their actions in private, or fail to put the work into themselves or into dismantling the systems that oppress us all.
Why we want to avoid the pedestal effect and performative allyship
Those chasing the pedestal effect and only performing allyship are not helping the cause.
True allies are here to make real change happen – in our workplaces, families, and society as a whole. We’re not here chasing titles, accolades, and adoring fans because we’ve raised our head above the surface in a conversation not readily had by many men.
However, please don’t let worries of the pedestal effect stop you from going on and speaking out during your male allyship journey. It’s possible that you will be put on a pedestal, but here’s what you can do if you find yourself there.
How to redirect the pedestal effect
If you find you’re often praised for your contribution even though you’ve only just gotten started and haven’t scratched the surface of big change yet, here are some things you can do to redirect the pedestal effect:
Recognise the women who have paved the way before you. Highlight the fact that you didn’t start this conversation – you’re joining in because of the sustained efforts of women for hundreds of years before you. Direct the conversation away from yourself an back to women.
Name it and address it. Use it as an opportunity to raise awareness of the pedestal effect and reaffirm your intentions as a true ally.
Amplify women on your platforms or in your meetings, events, and other relevant places. If you’ve gained a large platform or you have high status in work or other places, invite women to either join you or take your place.
Step back and change systems. Keep the work going behind the scenes – focusing on the much-needed systemic change which will have the most impact towards gender equity.
All of this isn’t to say the work you’re doing doesn’t add value and isn’t worth recognition, but we need to be proportionate.
And don’t worry, this doesn’t mean it’s a completely thankless endeavour. Men engaged in tackling gender inequality – whether mentoring and sponsoring, amplifying, or fighting alongside women – will form connections with and receive feedback from the women they’re supporting. That solidarity and recognition from making real change happen is worth far more than a follower count or random adoration.
It takes courage to step into a topic that you haven’t been vocal about before. Where there aren’t many people like you doing the work, and you actually stand to face backlash from other men. Keep doing what you’re doing!
Amplify your impact
At Male Allies UK we engage men in diversity and inclusion. Allyship training equips men with the skillset of the future, and we’re here to help you create happier, healthier, more productive workplaces where everyone can truly thrive.
If you want to increase your impact, why not get your business involved? If you need support to set up a men’s ERG, would like us to speak at an event, or provide company-wide training, we’re here to partner with you and make it happen.
Check out our services webpage or get in touch at hello@maleallies.co.uk