Allyship is Active Engagement and Action. Allyship is Not Passive Support
- An ally supports and amplifies the voice of those who are underrepresented and uses their comparative privilege to do so.
- An ally will help to lift others up by being their advocate.
- An ally will share opportunities for the growth and development of others.
- An ally understands and calls out inappropriate actions and language.
- An ally recognises systematic inequalities and seeks to address them.
Taken from the NHS equality document on Allyship:
Allyship is about building relationships of trust, consistency and accountability with marginalised individuals and/or groups of people.
Although you might not be a member of an underinvested or oppressed group, you can support them and make the effort to understand their struggle and use your voice alongside theirs.
The Dos
Do be open to listening
Do be aware of your implicit biases
Do your research to learn more about the history of the struggle in which you are participating
Do the inner work to figure out a way to acknowledge how you participate in oppressive systems
Do the outer work and figure out how to change the oppressive systems
Do use your privilege to amplify (digitally and in-person) historically suppressed voices
Do learn how to listen and accept criticism with grace, even if it’s uncomfortable
Do the work every day to learn how to be a better ally
The Don’ts
Do not expect to be taught or shown. Take it upon yourself to use the tools around you to learn and answer your questions
Do not participate for the gold medal in the “Oppression Olympics” (you don’t need to compare how your struggle is “just as bad as” a marginalized person’s)
Do not behave as though you know best
Do not take credit for the labour of those who are marginalized and did the work before you stepped into the picture
Do not assume that every member of an underinvested community feels oppressed
Learn more here.
Books and reading recommended for women Allies
- Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks
- 50 Shades of Feminism edited by Lisa Appignanesi, Rachel Holmes and Susie Orbach
- The Gender Games: The Problem with Men and Women, from Someone who has been Both by Juno Dawson
- Good Guys: How Men Can Be Better Allies for Women in the Workplace by David G. Smith and W. Brad Johnson
- One: How Male Allies Support Women for Gender Equality by Julie Kratz
- From Sabotage to Support: A New Vision for Feminist Solidarity in the Workplace by Joy L. Wiggins and Kami J. Anderson
- Rules for Being a Girl by Candace Bushnell and Katie Cotugno
- Diversify – Six Degrees of Integration by June Sarpong
- Better Allies: Everyday Actions to Create Inclusive, Engaging Workplaces by Karen Catlin
- The Better Allies™ Approach to Hiring by Karen Catlin
Please tweet PDA #PDAnawp with any books you would recommend to Allies.
Daniela Rusalim, Vice-President of NAWP, said:
“The importance of allies for women can never be overstated, especially because the unprecedented times we find ourselves in have the potential to revert the progress towards gender equality that has so arduously been achieved over the last few decades.
This is why it is crucial for people to commit to acts and behaviours that meaningfully support women and take their individual characteristics into consideration, including their age, race, ethnicity, disability, religion or sexual orientation. This mindset will create an environment where women can thrive and feel encouraged to lead in ways that prioritise women’s initiatives and carry their views forward.”
Jayesh Ladva, PDA Regional Committee member for community pharmacy in the North, said:
“An equal world is an enabled world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day. We can actively choose to challenge stereotypes, fight bias, broaden perceptions, improve situations and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, each one of us can help create a gender equal world.
Standing up for the rights of my female colleagues is something I’m passionate about and especially in pharmacy where the majority of the workforce is female. I am a proud member and ally of the NAWP. I join my female colleagues in the profession to support them and make effort to understand their struggles and use my voice alongside theirs. The race is on for the gender equal boardroom, a gender equal government, gender equal media coverage, gender equal workplaces, gender equal sports coverage, more gender equality in health and wealth … so let’s make it happen. Let’s be #EachforEqual.”
Get involved
Pledge to be an ally on social media #PDAnawp – “I pledge to be a PDA NAWP ally because…”
Contact the NAWP network: nawp@the-pda.org
All contact with the network will be treated in confidence and with sensitivity.
Pharmacists, pharmacy students and trainees can join the PDA now.