Neil Hudson-Basing shares his call to action for men to step up and fight to advance gender equality this International Women's Day.
International Women’s Day is almost upon us and this got me considering the theme of this year’s campaign: #AcceleratingAction
Do you want to hear my initial gut feeling when I read this? My mind immediately snapped ‘Well, it can’t go any slower, can it?!’
Don’t get me wrong, it’s a powerful call to action. IWD’s 2025 theme highlights that it’ll take until 2158 to reach full gender parity at the current rate of progress, according to the World Economic Forum. It demands an increased momentum in challenging barriers and bias experienced by women, both professionally and personally, through amplifying tried and tested strategies, activities and resources as well as supporting organisations striving for gender equality & equity.
I am totally on board with all of the above. As a man who considers myself to be a feminist and an advocate for gender equality, I am consistently baffled by the long & drawn out inequality, injustice & unfairness women face. In the workplace. At home. As they go about their lives. Furthermore, I am relentlessly frustrated by the lack of action, outcry & support from other men when it comes to speaking out on issues impacting women.
Professionally, I’ve hosted events covering a broad range of topics around childbirth mortality, menopause and violence against women & girls. Each and every time, there has only ever been a handful of men in the room.
In my personal life I’ve had conversations with men and women on these topics and more. The women I speak to are often shocked but overjoyed that they’re engaging with a man on these topics. Men tend to seem baffled, particularly as to why I’d know so much about the menopause, or tend to disengage. This is also validated based on the reactions on my social media related to this topic.
The absence of the male voice, consciously & unconsciously, when it comes to gender equality is not only infuriating - its prolonging inaction & change.
With the theme #AcceleratingAction in mind, I researched to check if my cynicism around action, or not enough of it, was valid. And regrettably, it is. However, there are some positive improvements when it comes to gender equality…
Data from ONS indicates that the gender pay gap is slowly decreasing.
Flexible working has helped a fifth of women keep their roles & avoid reducing their hours, according to an analysis by McKinsey.
The EU Gender Equality Index improved marginally from 2023 to 2024 showing a decrease in disparities.
There’s much more menopause awareness, education & public conversation taking place.
When digging deeper, progress is still looking bleak and slow. Especially when you take into account the intersections of race, transness & sexual orientation.
Last year, a study by LinkedIn shows that the gender representation gap in leadership has widened with just 36.4% of leadership hires being women.
In fact, the same McKinsey report above demonstrates that women remain underrepresented at every stage of the corporate pipeline, regardless of race & ethnicity
The Fawcett Society recently published a report entitled ‘Double Trouble: The Ethnicity Gender Pay Gap’ exploring the compound effects of both the gender & ethnicity pay gap showing that Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Mixed White & Black Caribbean women impacted the most.
The Human Rights Campaign revealed that trans women in the US earn just 60 cents for every dollar a typical worker earns - similar for non-binary folk & only marginally better for trans men.
In the UK, violence against women & girls (VAWG) is getting worse according to a recent report by the National Audit Office.
The above is a snapshot of what’s going on in the US & UK. Never mind globally. And there are many more crucial topics at play when it comes to gender inequality & injustice, what fuels & maintains it, including:
Unfair division of labour
Childbirth mortality
Workplace harassment
Medical testing
Urban design
I’d urge everyone reading this, regardless of gender identity, to check out ‘Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men’ by Caroline Criado Perez. It was an absolute game changer for my understanding of how we live in a world designed for me and checking my own male privilege as I go about every day life.
With all of this in mind, hopefully we’re in agreement that accelerated action in the form of active allyship to forge our way towards gender equality is needed. But what role do men have to play?
To start with, ask yourself this… what’s going on in my industry?
As someone who sits across both the DEI space & the Events Industry, I take it upon myself to know the state of play for women & other marginalized groups across both.
Female leaders work twice as hard to drive & embed DEI into the workplace than their male counterparts - yet over 40% don’t feel their efforts are recognised through performance reviews or reward, according to the World Economic Forum.
The ‘Women in the Workplace 2022’ report stated that over 63% of DEI leadership roles were occupied by White women - which naturally overshadows the fundamentals of DEI.
Representation on panels at events have always been a thorny issue. Male-dominated and all-male panels (or ‘manels’) are still unfortunately common, with men outnumbering women by 2:1 according to Bizzabo. This is particularly exacerbated in the fields of Business, Tech & STEM. It’s something that We Create Space is fully committed to addressing when it comes to curating events either for our clients & our community.
The events industry is largely dominated by women (almost 77%), but the majority of event leadership positions are taken by men, according to a 2022 study by IBTM.
It’s one that my friend & colleague, Gabby Austen-Browne, Founder of Diversity Alliance, is all too familiar with…
“Having worked with countless organisations through Diversity Alliance, I've seen firsthand that real progress happens when men step up as active allies. What makes my heart sink is seeing the burden of change falling primarily on women's shoulders. This isn't a 'women's issue' - it's a leadership issue that requires men, especially those in senior positions, to take meaningful action. Our recent 'Driving Success Through Diversity' report lays this all bare - but more importantly, it provides practical steps forward. We've seen real transformation when male leaders commit to being part of the solution- actively sponsoring women, particularly women of colour and those with disabilities, challenging biased systems, and using their influence to drive cultural change. The blueprint is there - but we need men to move from passive support to active advocacy to make it happen.”
How can I personally take action of these findings? Well, armed with awareness and insights, I can actively work to speak out about them professionally and personally.
Professionally, as an Events Director working in DEI, it can inform how I can curate content & events to educate audiences. I can factor it into discussion points for briefings. I ensure our panels are diverse & representative - with gender balance - challenging tokenism & providing fairer opportunities .
I’ve heard men say they need to be told what to do. I’ve actually witnessed women back this up. But with so much data, discourse & research out there, it’s time for men at all levels, in working space & every day life, to step up. The days of spoonfeeding every bit of knowledge should be ended and we should empower ourselves through ongoing education.
The biggest question you may have right now is: where to start when it comes to accelerating action for gender equality as a male ally? Here’s your roadmap based on my own learning journey and experiences.
Personal take-aways
Educate yourself: Listen and engage in conversation with the women around you. Be inquisitive about their experiences in the workplace and everyday life. Examine your male privilege & get to grips with the many scenarios and ways gender equality shows up. Be curious about women’s health topics like menopause. Read books & listen to podcasts by women.
Call out sexism and misogyny: Understand that better education for boys and young men can help to prevent and tackle violence against women and girls. Know that what is deemed as ‘casual banter’ is still harmful & galvanises worse behaviour. Challenge unacceptable language. Be the person known for a zero tolerance approach to any form of sexual harassment.
Consider your professional context: Understand what’s going on in your organisation, field or sector when it comes to gender inequality. Find out what the gender pay gap looks like. If you’re a hiring line manager, ensure employees at the same level are being paid fairly no matter their gender.
Champion fair representation: Make sure boards, campaigns, ERG groups & event panels are diverse and provide fair opportunities. Amplify the voices of women, gender non-conforming people & other marginalised groups. Offer your seat on a board or panel to a female colleague, or decline where it’s an all male selection, explaining why this doesn’t align with your values. Celebrate the achievements & successes of female colleagues.
Encourage allyship at work: Advocate for workplace initiatives, policies & practices that protect women. Introduce a menopause, flexible working or transition at work policy. Pursue White Ribbon accreditation to show your commitment to ending male violence. Enforce healthy meeting practices so that female colleagues are not talked over.
Appreciate the women around you and know your history: Reflect on the positive impact the women in your life have had on you and become their champions. Return that love & support (I know I wouldn’t be the person I am without them). As gay men, it’s crucial to understand that trans+ women fought for our LGBTQ+ rights. And that lesbians played a vital role in the HIV crisis as activists and carers. Your gratitude, respect and knowledge is a deep sign of allyship.
To all the men reading, it’s over to you now. Let this day be the starting point for you to start your year round journey to becoming an active ally.
I say this as a plea & challenge. The need for #AcceleratedAction is very real and the efforts to create a world in which true gender equality & equity is a reality requires more men to be part of the conversation and get involved. Whether that’s menopause awareness, amplifying the work of female colleagues, or tackling violence against women and girls. In a patriarchal world, a unified approach and solidarity is essential.
Get in touch to chat about how We Create Space can support you as you plan your activities for IWD & gender equality throughout the year.
Neil Hudson-Basing (he/him)
Neil is We Create Space's Events & Community Director based in London. With over 18 years experience in the events industry, Neil has a real passion for bringing audiences together. he is an experienced emcee & public speaker. Neil has delivered and hosted events, as well as spoken and written about, a broad range of hard-hitting & sensitive topics including violence against women & girls, male allyship, racism, sustainability, LGTBQ+ inclusion, menopause and sobriety. In 2022, he co-launched London’s newest alcohol and drug-free clubbing event called The House of Happiness, a queer led & delivered venture, to help address the lack of LGBTQ+ sober spaces.
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