Unpopular Truth: Gender equity isn’t just about women. It’s about freeing men from the pressures they’re never allowed to talk about.
Yesterday, I saw a mum out shopping with her three kids.
I smiled. Admired her.
I thought..
"Superwoman. Hero. Probably exhausted, but still showing up".
But it made me wonder...
Would I have thought the same if it was a dad?
Would I have called it admirable ....
or unusual?
The workplace is no different.
We say we want fairness.
But our standards still depend on who’s in the room.
Let’s talk about men and sick leave.
Why do we still expect men to push through when they’re unwell?
➤ Why is rest seen as weakness when it comes from a man?
➤ Why is burnout ignored until it becomes aggression, or withdrawal?
➤ Why do we joke that “he’s just got man flu” instead of asking: is he okay?
This is the problem.
We want more emotionally intelligent male leaders
But we punish them when they FEEL.
We want shared responsibility at home
But we still label caregiving as a female trait.
We expect men to show up for their families and their teams
But rarely offer space for them to be anything but strong.
That’s not gender equity.
That’s silent inequality - hidden in plain sight.
So here’s what I believe:
✅ A good leader isn’t the one who never takes a day off
(I'm not talking about those acute coughs and colds here - I'm talking actual sickness)
✅ A good parent isn’t defined by gender
✅ A fair workplace isn’t softer on women and harder on men
It’s consistent.
It’s conscious.
And all great leaders should understand this.
A good employer makes space for everyone to lead fully, without performance masks.
If you want high-performing men and women in your business
You need HR that protects their performance and their personhood AND
who understands the hidden gender biases you never saw coming.
When was the last time a man on your team took a day off without needing to justify it twice?
If you're intrigued about gender biases that might live in your leadership or HR processes, then you'll be glad to know I'm running a FREE workshop that will help you identify if your current approach to people management is "tribunal safe". Click here https://lnkd.in/ejphPTwB to secure your spot
Founder of HR Habitat, award winner of "Best HR & Employment Law Consultancy, 2024" title. As featured in BBC Oline, BBC Asian Network Radio, Telegraph & more.
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