Support women with equal pay, respect, and honesty

Deja Davis

Managing Editor

I believe there are many ways men can better support women and one is by simply changing their perception of women.

It is quite aggravating when some men try to patronize women and make them seem as if they cannot do something or they belong in a certain position.

For example, gender roles play a huge part. Many men think that women only belong at home to cook and clean as opposed to being in an office or workplace.

In this day and time, women are entrepreneurs, doctors, lawyers etc., and are doing the same job as men while also taking care of home. Unfortunately there is still a gap in wages between men and women.

The gender gap in pay has narrowed since 1980, but it has remained relatively stable over the past 15 years. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of both full and part-time workers of median hourly earnings in the United States, in 2017, women earned 82 percent of what men earned. Based on this estimate, it would take an extra 47 days of work for women to earn what men did in 2017.This has to change.

 

Also, just believing in women goes a long way, men can be great allies in the movement towards gender equality by simply letting their voice be heard.

 

Women are often undervalued or given less credit while working alongside men or blamed more for failure which causes their confidence level to decrease.

Uplifting women by advocating for them in the workplace and acknowledge their contributions instead of belittling them all helps support women.

We often feel the need to prove ourselves as serious professionals to our male colleagues. Men can show support by opening their minds up to the possibilities and advantages to make opportunities equal and not be bias but encouraging.

Instead of assuming a female colleague would not want or be able to handle job responsibilities because of personal reasons, offer women assignments or positions and allow them to decide whether it is right for themselves.

Having support is one of the main things’ women want and it is so impactful coming from a man which brings me to my next conflict, relationships.

Plenty of relationships and marriages fail because men do not genuinely show support or are not willing to communicate on a higher level.

Ladies, if your man let’s anyone talk to you any kind of way, it is time to let him go. If he is jealous of your accomplishments and shuts you down when you share your life goals, send him to the left.

Supporting dreams and ambitions is one of the most important things that will make it work.

It is disheartening that we now live in a culture where women’s statements and opinions are often dismissed and unheard.

Men must learn to actively listen and not let their ego get in the way or being so quick respond sometimes.

Learn to trust women’s intuition and decisions instead of being so quick to go into defense mode or becoming nonchalant when things do not go their way all the time.

Men need to realize that all relationships are different and some women require a little more than others.

Looking at social media for answers or to vent is the wrong way to go and I can honestly say that social media has ruined relationships for some.

Lastly, although all men are not responsible for the violent and offensive actions of any other man, all men are responsible for helping change the environments that allow harassment, abuse, and gender violence.

Instead of just sitting there witnessing another guy call a woman out their name and keeping quiet, step up and try to put a stop to the situation.

It does not even have to be just violence, but any type of disrespect. Standing up for a woman will never go unnoticed no matter how long ago it was.

Supporting women will always be important and I hope the guys who read this take notes. Happy Women’s History Month!