Allyship

Posted by Penny Maher

Allyship means supporting (members of) underrepresented groups without being a member and without having a direct benefit from the actions. You can be an ally in a variety of ways, for example by using a person’s preferred pronouns and sharing your own, calling out micro-agressions, or joining meetings of underrepresented groups to learn more about their perspectives (if the group welcomes guests).

Many aspects of allyship resemble mentoring, with allyship typically referring to supporting underrepresented groups and mentoring is often supporting a specific person. Actions as an ally can also be similar to those from active bystanders, for example, intervening when you observe a behaviour that is based on biases or assumptions. When done well, allyship can be a powerful tool to give members of underrepresented groups opportunities and give them or amplify their voice, even if they are not in the room. However, some action may be well intended but inappropriate as an ally, like asking intrusive questions when wanting to learn more about others’ experiences. And there is performative allyship, which is primarily done to make the “ally” look better, rather than due to a genuine interest in supporting the underrepresented group.

In our Women in Climate meeting, we also discussed positive allyship examples and negative experiences mainly in the context of work about supporting early career researchers, interactions between native and non-native English speakers, but also regarding support for part-time work and religion.

The starting point for becoming an ally was awareness. Several participants shared how it was small moments that made them realise when others where disadvantaged, including by their actions. A native English speaker realised in a conversation with a non-native speaker how phrases and idioms are not general knowledge and can exclude people from conversations. Another observation from someone was that female and/or early career scientists on a panel are more likely to be introduced without title or only by first name, different to more senior men. Someone also shared the experience of having been mistaken for the project lead because they were the senior man in the room. An early career scientist shared how after giving a presentation they were not included in the discussion, but instead the more senior people in the room ended up discussing the presentation between each other. These examples show how awareness led to realising one’s privilege and power in a situation, or the opposite.

Having awareness is necessary to take positive actions as an ally. Many great examples of actions or suggestions were shared by participants. For example, someone working part-time shared how they were supported by an ally in a meeting who specifically asked whether the suggested recurring meeting time was suitable for the person working part-time to accommodate their schedule. A message by their workplace reminding employees to be mindful that colleagues might be observing an ongoing religious period of fasting and prayer prompted one participant to be a better ally to a family member who was observing. To help non-native speakers or understanding in general, participants shared many ideas about avoiding jargon or explaining idioms, explaining the same thing but in three different ways, or simply moving a conversation to a quieter place.

To be an effective ally, asking questions and being open to learning are key elements. By seeking to understand the experiences of underrepresented groups one can find out how to best support them. For example, if you are often asked to be on panel discussions you may share the spotlight and suggest someone from an underrepresented group to participate instead. However, not everyone may want to do that, i.e. they may not see it as an “opportunity” but rather a burden, or would like to have support or coaching to feel prepared for the task. Asking what kind of support someone needs can also lead to more effective allyship.

There is no set list of tasks to do for “becoming an ally”. Rather it is a process and everyone will make mistakes along the way. The important point is to engage in the conversation, stay open minded, listen and believe people whose experiences are different to yours, and be willing to learn from feedback.