Goal 5: Genuine partnership approach between genders

Our pioneering Gender Benchmark launched at the start of summer 2024. Based around seven goals, WE+ is a transformative framework that will help organisations get closer to achieving gender equality

At One Loud Voice (1LV) we firmly advocate for the creation of equitable environments – in and out of the workplace – where both men and women can thrive. Our fifth goal under the 1LV WE+ Measure is about the creation and fostering of ‘Genuine partnerships between genders’.

Gender partnership has many advantages over male allyship for advancing workplace equality. For decades, gender equality in the workplace has been pursued through a variety of frameworks, from diversity training and affirmative action to mentorship programmes and policy reforms. In recent years, the concept of male allyship – men supporting women’s advancement – has gained traction. It’s well intentioned, but the concept of male allyship often positions men as ‘helpers’ rather than equal stakeholders in the process of change. In 2025, a more powerful and sustainable model is emerging: gender partnership.

This approach reframes the conversation, positioning both men and women as co-creators of equitable workplaces. It is not about men helping women; it’s about working together to build something better for everyone.

From exclusion to inclusion

To understand why gender partnership matters, it helps to look at where we've come from. Historically, the modern workplace was built by and for men. During the Industrial Revolution and well into the 20th century, women were largely excluded from formal employment or confined to roles considered extensions of domestic work – nursing, teaching, and clerical jobs. The feminist movements of the 20th century, particularly the second wave in the 1960s and 1970s, pushed for legal and institutional reforms, such as equal pay and anti-discrimination laws. These efforts led to significant gains in access and representation.

However, despite progress, deep-rooted systemic issues remained – many of which are included in the other WE+ Goals. These include the gender pay gap, unequal leadership representation, and workplace cultures that often marginalise women’s voices. These challenges are not women’s issues’, but are organisational issues that affect everyone. And while initiatives like male allyship sought to involve men in solutions, they often failed to create the mutual accountability and shared ownership needed for true transformation.

The limits of male allyship

Male allyship is well-meaning but it tends to be top-down and sometimes performative. Allies may step in to advocate on behalf of women, attend gender equity workshops, or call out sexist behaviour. All of this is important. But it is also an approach that can unintentionally reinforce gender hierarchies. It places men in the role of rescuer and women as recipients of their support, rather than as equal collaborators. There is another important point: allyship often hinges on individual behaviour rather than systemic change. A male ally might support one colleague but fail to challenge the organisational structures or cultural norms that allow inequality to persist. Without shared responsibility and mutual engagement, progress is slow, fragmented, and may go backwards.

Gender Partnership

By contrast, gender partnership acknowledges that gender equality is not a favour men extend to women, but a shared endeavour that benefits everyone. In a partnership model, men and women actively collaborate to identify barriers, design solutions together, and lead change together. It’s not just about advocating for women, but working with women to transform workplace cultures, systems, and leadership.

It is an approach that is rooted in mutual respect. Men are encouraged to listen, learn, and act not just as supporters, but as equal stakeholders. Women are not sidelined as passive beneficiaries but are recognised as co-leaders. The dynamic becomes one of shared growth, innovation, and responsibility.

Key characteristics of a gender partnership are:

• Equal Opportunity Ensuring that women, as well as men, have equal access to opportunities for career advancement, training, and leadership roles. 

• Shared Responsibility Both genders taking an active role in promoting gender equality and supporting each other’s career progression.

• Inclusive Culture Fostering a workplace environment that values diverse perspectives and experiences, regardless of gender.

• Bias Elimination Actively working to identify and eliminate gender biases in all aspects of the organisations, from hiring to promotion decisions.

• Mentorship and Sponsorship Encouraging mentoring relationships and sponsorship programmes across and between genders to support women’s career advancement.

Why It Works

Research shows that diverse teams—especially those that include gender diversity in leadership—perform better in terms of innovation, profitability, and employee satisfaction. But simply having representation isn’t enough; the workplace must support true inclusion and equity. Gender partnership helps build environments where people feel safe to speak up, bring their whole selves to work, and trust that opportunities are distributed fairly.

By fostering ongoing, two-way engagement, gender partnership also avoids the burnout and fatigue sometimes associated with allyship efforts. Instead of a few individuals carrying the burden of change, it becomes a collective movement.

The future of gender equality in the workplace depends not on well-meaning allies, but on authentic partnerships. When men and women lead together, listen to one another, and share responsibility, they create not only more equitable organisations but stronger, more resilient ones. Gender partnership is not just the next step—it’s the one that finally gets us where we need to go.

WE+ Measure

The seven WE+ goals clearly focus on key areas where we know organisations can make meaningful differences to their overall gender equality. They are separate goals that also work together. In practice, a genuine partnership approach between genders touches on some of the other WE+ Measure goals. For example, it should include transparent promotion processes; flexible working arrangements; leadership development programmes; gender-balanced teams; pay equity; inclusive policies overall; and unconscious bias training.

Measures to assess an organisation’s commitment to gender equality include: the current representation of women across all roles; whether specific gender targets exist; whether there is a target for the percentage of women in middle management positions; whether there is a target for including women in the pipeline for senior management roles; whether the board has committed to achieving gender equality targets. Key measures are the gender equity actions that achieve the gender equality targets.

By using the WE+ Measure, organisations will be showing teams, future employees, suppliers and customers that they are on a clear path to gender equality. They will receive an initial rating on each goal, as well as specific feedback, and leaders will see where and how they can make changes

Our aim is for systemic change to ensure women are fairly represented and promoted at all stages of their careers, with a particular focus on middle management roles. We know that the talent pipeline in these roles is lacking, and it is impacting career progression to senior management roles and beyond. With the help of the benchmark, organisations will be able to set their own standards for achieving equal and appropriate representation of females and to ensure women have an equal chance of making it through the talent pipeline to senior roles.

---

About WE+ The One Loud Voice (1LV) WE+ Measure was always designed with ‘all of us’ in mind. The gender benchmark was launched in June 2024 with a simple aim: to help women in the workplace at every point in their career by working with organisations and helping fix the structural imbalances in the system.

Structured around seven strategic goals WE+ gives organisations a foundation from where they can articulate their commitment to both equity and equality in the workplace.

Goal 1: Commitment to gender equality

Goal 2: Minimise bias in recruitment, promotion and reward

Goal 3: Resolve structural issue around working patterns and benefits

Goal 4: Create psychological safety and an inclusive culture

Goal 5: Genuine partnership approach between genders

Goal 6: End gender discrimination and harassment

Goal 7: End gender pay gap

Find out more about WE+ Measure here