#BeBoldForChange

By Pamela Antil, ACM – Santa Barbara, CA

The Women’s March on Washington, Women’s History Month, and now International Women’s Day on March 8th — these are all great celebrations to remind us to contemplate women in the workplace, equal pay, and gender equality. But, what if you’re a guy? How might you show a proper level of support of women in the workplace and at home without appearing to be stepping on anyone’s toes? Here are some things you might consider:

Check out the history behind International Women’s Day (IWD)

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating Gender Parity. The celebration of women started as just one day, then it expanded to a week, and then congress in the late ’80s declared the whole month of March National Women’s History Month. A wonderful outline of the history of International Women’s Day can be found Here.

Wear something RED in support of IWD

For those women and men who cannot take part in the official, “A Day Without Women,” whereby women take the day off of work on March 8th to show what the workplace and home look like without women, you can wear red in solidarity.

Take the time to mentor a woman in your office

Studies show that men (and women) are more apt to mentor men in need of mentoring in the office rather than women. Some think this is because men are more likely to ask for assistance or mentoring. Regardless of the reason, women are in need of mentoring. If you are in a position to help or teach others, make it known that you are available to mentor women in your department, division, etc. Also, be proactive about mentoring and coaching. If a see a woman on your team that could use some guidance, offer it. Consider taking a woman under your wing and be an advocate for that person as they grow and develop. Again, this is found to occur more often with men over women, so flip the script and take on this new challenge to support and guide where needed to a woman on your team. More information on the difference between mentoring and coaching can be found on the League website Here and Here.

Become an expert on today’s women’s issues

There are a number of issues facing women today that have an impact on our work and home life. Having a better understanding of these issues benefits you in the workplace and at home. Top issues include:

  • The need for and benefits of Gender Balance in organizations.
  • Pay Equity — it exists. Learn about ways to turn it around in your own organization.
  • Violence against women around the world — including here in the U.S.
  • How organizations can be more family friendly for women (and men) and the need for accommodations for working mothers.
  • The need for increasing the number of women in senior executive positions and on elected and appointed boards.
  • Increasing gender equality in school age children.

More information on global issues to dig deeper can be found HERE and HERE. Issues related specifically related to women in local government can be found HERE and HERE. 

Celebrate the women in your life

Acknowledge your spouse/partner, mother, sister(s), and female friends and co-workers who have helped YOU become successful as a parent, co-worker, and friend. We often forget to acknowledge that most of us (men and women alike) can’t do what we do everyday without each other. The term, “it takes a village,” is true. Remember to thank the women in your village who keep things going 24/7/365.

At work, there are other things that men can take the lead or partner with women to achieve workplace equality. Some suggestions can be found at Leanin.org HERE.

And finally, at home if your partner has primary responsibility for childcare and/or housekeeping, maybe think about staying home to care for the kids or better yet, clean the bathroom. Nothing says, “I love and appreciate you,” more than having the toilet cleaned for you! Ok, maybe that’s just at my house…….

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Pamela “Pam” W. Antil has over 25 years of experience directly managing and advising local government agencies across the country including and is currently, she is the Assistant City Administrator/COO for the City of Santa Barbara, CA.

Ms. Antil has been recognized for her published articles and papers on a variety of topics including advancing women in local government; the future of policing in the United States; business networking; innovation and design thinking; post-merger/operational due diligence in the private sector; and use of social media by local government.  An avid networker herself and early adopter of social media in government, Ms. Antil founded the Municipal Managers group on LinkedIn in 2007, which has over 11,000 members today and the League of Women in Government in 2015, supporting the advancement of women in local government. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Public Administration degree from California State University.