A male lens on gender diversity and dismantling bias in the workplace

Gender bias tends to be viewed as a female-centric issue, but really, it affects everyone. Males experience gender-based discrimination too, and most men today fully recognize the power of diversity in the workplace. 

At NTT, our inclusive culture leaves no room for doubt that intolerance or inequality are unacceptable. We're building a workplace where everyone feels like they belong and our highly diverse workforce shows that our money is where our mouth is, and we’re continually educating our people on unconscious bias and how to dismantle it. It’s important to recognize that we all have biases whether conscious or not, but with an open mind, we can seek to undo them. Most biases stem from ignorance after all. 

Below are some insights from NTT colleagues; Jonathan, KN, Nathan and Fernando about the importance of gender diversity, challenging gender bias in the workplace, and taking steps to combat gender inequality at every level. 

Jonathan Booysen Senior Global GTM Manager

“Gender diversity is crucial for any future-ready business”

“I’ve encountered multiple forms of bias over the years, including those based on my gender. I’ve always resisted conforming to traditional male stereotypes or being part of the ‘boys club’ and I’ve challenged biased behaviour from both male and female colleagues. I think it’s critical to approach it from a position of ‘seeking to understand’ instead of anger, as many biases are unconscious and at times, culturally systemic.

Gender equality is essential for any organization who aims to be future-focused and high-performing. A company that doesn’t celebrate, empower, and reward women is just the antithesis of my personal value system. Aside from that, research proves that companies who encourage gender equality achieve greater collaboration, innovation, and overall results. 

Gender bias is not a women’s issue, it’s a human issue. It’s everyone’s responsibility, especially workplace leaders, to address and dismantle it.”

KN Murali Vice President HR

“Dismantling gender bias in the workplace is a priority”

“Unfortunately, gender biases are still deeply rooted and will take time, patience, and effort to break. Fortunately, however, I believe we are seeing change as employee demographics shift. 

I’m a father to a young lady who is just entering the workforce and I want her to have every opportunity to excel and grow. I want her to work for a company that practices fairness and equity, and where diversity and inclusion is not mere words, but real action. That’s what it’s like at NTT and I want the same for her. 

In my mind, looking the other way when you witness gender bias is the equivalent of seeing something bad happen next to you on the street and not doing anything to help. I would rather step in and do the right thing, which is why I see supporting women at work and countering biases against them as so important. I’ve seen a lot of gender bias in the workplace throughout my career and to counter it, I’ve always tried to educate the other person first and foremost. I think that’s fundamental because a lot of the time, the bias comes from a place of ignorance. 

Nathan Hart: Senior Associate Sustainability Specialist

“Supporting women in the workplace is both an individual and collective responsibility” 

“Working in Cybersecurity, I always noticed that the workplace was very male dominated. There were very few female engineers around me earlier in my career. So, I decided to approach senior management about developing some sort of STEM education programme for girls to get them interested in the STEM field from a young age. Now that I am involved in a Sustainability based role, this is also something we are investigating further. 

I’ve also challenged gender biases around me in various workplaces. I was working in the Aussie outback at one time, doing some manual labour, and I witnessed my girlfriend and other female employees become subject to automatic bias when being given job assignments. I challenged this with the employer - men aren’t automatically better at something just because it’s physical! 

At the end of the day, my personal belief is that we are all born equal. I truly do not believe there are any jobs that only a man can do, and vice versa!”

Fernando Costantino: Director, Marketing and Communications 

“Proactively supporting women in the workplace creates a work culture and environment that empower people” 

I recently read in an article that almost half of the women surveyed for a study believed their gender, sexuality, or ethnic background could be a barrier to their career progression. Furthermore, less than half of these women felt their organization was doing enough to combat gender inequality. 

That can be changed. Name more women to leadership positions and hire more women for all types of jobs at every single level of an organization. Make sure women are given a space at the table and that their opinions are listened to. Have a zero-tolerance policy for harassment. And offer equal paternity benefits so women have the option, if they choose, to go back to work while fathers take a more active role in taking care of children.

Proactively supporting women in the workplace creates a work culture and environment that empowers people. I’m proud to work for a company that during the pandemic took immediate action to understand and accommodate the unique challenges that working remotely and staying at home created for women as mothers, caregivers, educators, and the many other very important roles they play in our communities.”