Only 41% of women believe men are doing their best to tackle gender inequality in the workplace, according to Grant Thornton's Global Insight Report. A breakfast panel event in Birmingham on 7 July aims to change that by inviting local men to be part of the conversation.
Event Details and Purpose
Hosted by campaigner Mandy Rees, The One With the Male Allies will bring together prominent business people from both sides of the gender divide. The event takes place at Revolución de Cuba in Birmingham from 8.30am to 10.30am and is open to legal professionals and those working in professional services.
Attendees are actively encouraged to bring a male colleague to help grow understanding and communication about how men can be better allies. Mandy Rees, a former commercial property lawyer with over twenty years of experience, described watching male associates receive "promotion after promotion" while women fell through the net.
Statistics Highlighting the Gender Gap
Grant Thornton's report reveals a stark contrast in perceptions: 77% of men say they are doing everything they can to support gender fairness at work, but only 41% of women agree. This disconnect underscores the need for events like this one.
In the legal profession, women now make up 55% of all solicitors in England and Wales and have outnumbered men for a decade. However, at the top, women hold just 35% of full-equity partner positions. Mandy warned: "Law firms have not stopped to think about what happens in twenty years’ time when the majority of lawyers are women and they are still leaving at the same rate. There will not be enough people to fill the gaps. This is a huge commercial problem."
Creating a Safe Space for Dialogue
Mandy emphasised the importance of including men in the conversation: "I am not about men bashing, but women say different things when men are not in the room. This is a space to say those things anyway, because if we want anything to change, we have to start having these conversations with the people who still hold most of the cards in it."
She added: "Women find it hard to raise these issues without being seen as difficult, and men worry about saying the wrong thing, so nobody says anything and nothing changes."
Event Accessibility and Participation
The event is part of a series of talks aimed at answering tough questions affecting workplaces in Birmingham and beyond. By inviting men to listen and engage, organisers hope to bridge the gap between perception and reality, fostering a more inclusive environment for all.
