22 Apr How to Empower Women
Looking for a clear pathway to an inclusive and equitable culture? Cultivate and support the work of allies and advocates within your organization.
By Carolyn M. Brown
Allyship and advocacy are related but different—the former works on the individual level, the latter on the organizational—but both require action and accountability to be effective, says Amber Cabral, D&I consultant and author of Allies and Advocates (Wiley, 2020).
Allies support individuals who encounter bias or discrimination because of their marginalized status in the organization. Advocates, on the other hand, look beyond discrete instances of bias, tackling the systemic source of inequity to help prevent marginalization in the first place.
An ally’s work is interpersonal: confronting and calling attention to stereotypes, diffusing harmful interactions, affirming marginalized individuals, and reporting incidents of bias or discrimination, according to D&I research and consulting firm Pulsely. By comparison, advocates work on systems: building relationships within and across groups, driving large-scale transformation, and addressing policies and practices that give rise to discrimination, often sacrificing their own comfort to do so, reports Pulsely. For example, an advocate may call for transparency around DEI metrics or push to have quantifiable DEI goals included in leaders’ performance metrics.
Here, Diversity Woman showcases five allies and advocates who are showing up and speaking out for their female colleagues, creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace for everyone in the process.
Meet five allies and advocates supporting women and challenging the status quo in the workplace
Besu Alemayehu
Senior Vice President and Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Global Digital MMD, Merck
Originally from Ethiopia, Alemayehu has stewarded significant advances in Digital Merck Manufacturing Division’s DEI record, helping increase the number of women in leadership positions. He’s now sponsoring efforts to boost representation of women and ethnic minorities in associate director and specialist roles. An electrical engineer by training, Alemayehu is an industry veteran with 22-plus years of experience in biopharmaceuticals and biotechnology, including automation, manufacturing, and operations leadership roles at Biogen, Sanofi, MassBiologics, and Siemens.
Describe ways you’ve supported women to help them strive toward leadership roles.
Highlighting their accomplishments and contributions, fostering an inclusive culture by making sure that everyone feels valued and heard, and encouraging open dialogue about issues. Being a good ally means listening to and amplifying women’s voices in discussions, seeking different perspectives and creating space for them, and challenging unconscious bias and its effect on decision-making.
Share some insights on how to be an effective ally for or advocate on behalf of female colleagues to help advance gender equality.
I’m committed to cultivating leaders who challenge and develop me through their diverse perspectives and expertise. This is my secret recipe for unlocking untapped depths of innovation and collaboration. I have had the privilege of witnessing firsthand the incredible strength that women possess. My responsibility is not to make them stronger but to empower and recast the perception of that strength. Together, we rewrite the narrative of what women can achieve, forging a path toward true equity and success.
Donald E. Frieson
Former Executive Vice President, Supply Chain, Lowe’s Companies
Frieson was a member of Lowe’s executive leadership team, working closely with president and CEO Marvin Ellison, before retiring in April 2024. During his five-year tenure with the retailer, Frieson was regarded as a skilled developer of talent. A seasoned executive with more than 30 years of operations and supply chain experience, he has worked with such companies as Schneider National, Walmart, and Sam’s Club.
Describe ways you’ve supported women to help them strive toward leadership roles.
All my mentor circles comprise an equal number of males and females. I find that the different perspectives are extremely enriching for the entire group. These circles allow exposure of female leaders to other male and female executives whom they may not know. This grows the women’s circle of influence. As an executive leader, I use my voice to be an advocate for top women talent and to expose them to other executive leaders.
Share some insights on how to be an effective ally for or advocate on behalf of female colleagues to help advance gender equality.
There are four must-dos: Focus on the talent and capabilities of women; any bias around gender will not allow you to be objective. Be intentional around creating an inclusive environment. Create opportunities of exposure for women across the organization. And, lastly, be unapologetic around championing women.
Ted Madden
Head of Workplace Investing Implementation, Data Operations, Communication and Education, and Testing and Reporting, Fidelity Investments
Madden co-leads Fidelity’s Allies Connection, a male allyship workstream of the Women’s Leadership Group. Created in 2018, Allies Connection initially engaged a network of 200-plus men who raised their hands to be allies for women in the workplace; it now also includes women allies. Madden previously practiced law and served as an assistant district attorney in Norfolk County, Massachusetts.
Describe ways you’ve supported women to help them strive toward leadership roles.
I embrace my individual power to take action that will help change the status quo for women and others at all professional levels, including removing barriers so everyone can share their skills, talent, and insights.
Share some insights on how to be an effective ally for or advocate on behalf of female colleagues to help advance gender equality.
Though there is no one-size-fits-all recipe for being an effective ally, some examples include [the following]: Sponsorship—promote the work of women when they are not in the room. Mentorship—seek out mentor/mentee relationships with women who have backgrounds and experiences different from your own. Advocacy—offer public, vocal support that helps drive change, such as spearheading or supporting company policy revisions to meet the needs of women in the workplace. Speak up—if something doesn’t feel right, say something and respond to inconsiderate or inappropriate remarks and attitudes as they happen in real time. Monitor—be mindful of your own language to ensure it is respectful and free of bias. Stay educated—attend conferences and other educational forums where women’s voices are centered.
MK Palmore
Director, Office of the Chief Information Security Officer, Google Cloud
At Google, Palmore’s responsibilities include supporting strategic customers engaged in digital transformation. He previously served as the field chief security officer (Americas) for Palo Alto Networks. Prior to entering the private
sector, he had an extensive career in the US federal government, including a 22-year stint with the FBI.
Describe ways you’ve supported women to help them strive towards leadership roles?
Supporting women and underrepresented communities is a core component of my responsibilities as a leader, as I mentor and help to grow everyone on my team. Creating and supporting inclusive environments is essential to creating healthy teams. I see the benefits in mentorship and sponsorship and view them not only as components of how I show up as a leader, but also as a requirement for supporting the professional development of others who might benefit from input, counsel, and guidance.
Share some insights on how to be an effective ally for or advocate on behalf of female colleagues to help advance gender equality?
Engage, show up, and share. Always be the voice that questions whether we are adhering to our own stated ideals. I sense that when organizations are not actively promoting the support of women and underrepresented communities, their interests are sometimes downgraded in prioritization. Provide mentorship and open yourself to quick check-ins and chats with those seeking to connect on their professional challenges.
Sandra Quince
Business Enablement and Leader on Loan Program Executive, Bank of America
Quince leads business operations across workforce development and arts and heritage at Bank of America. Prior to this role, she was the first CEO of Paradigm for Parity through Bank of America’s Leader on Loan program, where she worked with the coalition’s cochairs and board of directors to oversee and execute the organization’s strategic vision and growth plan. She currently sits on the board of Paradigm for Parity, serving as cochair.
Describe ways you’ve supported women to help them strive toward leadership roles.
We do this through Paradigm for Parity’s Profit and Loss (P&L) Leadership Accelerator. This unique program has a multipronged approach that teaches key business and financial acumen, provides executive coaching, trains sponsors for each participant’s required sponsor, and engages mentors who have led P&Ls. I encourage each woman to invest in herself and consider the P&L program.
Share some insights on how to be an effective ally for or an advocate on behalf of female colleagues to help advance gender equality.
It’s important that we, as women, act as allies to each other. We can do this by leveraging our personal and professional capital in spaces of influence where other women are not represented through sponsorship, giving women the opportunity to learn from our experiences through mentorship, providing air cover for women so we can fail in a safe space, and being an upstander when we hear or see something that can be damaging to someone’s brand. DW
Carolyn Brown is a frequent contributor to Diversity Woman.
