People of marginalized identities are no strangers to the concept of advocacy. We advocate for ourselves, for each other, for our work, for our community — sometimes all at once. It's exhausting, right?
This is why we also look to allies (coworkers, colleagues, and friends who are not marginalized based on a particular identity, such as race or gender) to advocate for us and with us. And yet, sometimes allies get stumped: when they don't know how best to advocate for us, they freeze up and remain silent, which allows the status quo to continue.
So let's talk about it.
What does effective advocacy in the workplace look like?
Feel free to share ideas, lived experiences, questions, and concerns. All your intersecting identities are welcome in this conversation!
And, of course, a reminder to abide by the Code of Conduct while we discuss. I promise to moderate the discussion swiftly and with nuance. ❤️
@abbeyperini wrote an awesome article with some great, actionable ideas for advocating for women in the workplace specifically:
If you know of another good article on this topic, please drop it in the comments!
Top comments (4)
I am very happy to see this! Props to @abbeyperini for an awesome article. I think what has made the difference for me is as simple enough as active listening. I think in general when problem-solving, being able to listen and be open-minded to the fact that you may not have solved something the way that could have best supported someone else is GREAT! (And weirdly enough, can be hard to find (?) !) I think when listening deeply to others and keeping our own thoughts/judgments out of it we are most able to listen closely to what can be fixed/made better when hurt happens. Thank you Erin for sharing this!
Thanks for the mention, Erin! 💙
Of course!! Thanks for writing your article, I always love reading your perspectives and this topic was no exception. ❤️
Great article.