Male Allies at Work

At the 2011 AAUW National Convention, I attended the panel Transforming the 21st-Century Workplace: Women and Men as Allies. The panel included Joan C. Williams and John W. Curtis and was moderated by AAUW’s own Seth Chase. Williams is the founding director of the Center for WorkLife Law, Curtis is the director of research and public policy at the American Association of University Professors, and Chase is the field director for the Public Policy Department at AAUW. As a feminist (and AAUW member) I was disappointed that I was not able to hear from Michael Kimmel, who had to cancel his appearance at the panel. I enjoyed reading his book Guyland and was eager to hear his views.

The panel proposed that men can play an active role in arguing for work-life balance. This is a matter that affects both men and women because the lack of workplace flexibility reinforces gender stereotypes. In the eyes of employers, women are seen as the sole caregivers and are thus discriminated against in hiring, pay, and promotion. Ideals of masculinity, by contrast, are perpetuated by the number of hours spent in the office. A male worker who asks for time off is given the cold shoulder and, as Williams put it, “sneered at.” What Williams and Curtis advocate is for all workers to have flexibility. AAUW is instrumental in this advocacy for social change, as evidenced by our support for paid sick leave for all workers.

I was also fortunate enough to attend the Conversation on Justice panel at the convention. It was really exciting to see the C-SPAN crew there. Attendees heard Edith Arana, a named plaintiff in the Wal-Mart v. Dukes case, tell her poignant story. After the panel was finished, AAUW members in the room stood up and asked questions. Some even mentioned how proud they are to be members of AAUW, an organization supporting these brave women who have tried to band together to stand up against Wal-Mart. For those who want to see this great work continue, donations can be made directly to AAUW’s Legal Advocacy Fund.

This post was written by AAUW national member Sean Crosbie.