Women in MARC Programming

Through MARC programming, women and men develop leadership skills relevant for both genders and have the opportunity to work together to build alliances that support inclusive workplaces.

To support partnership across gender in these spaces, please refer to the following guidelines.

Guidelines for Women

• Be fully present both for your own learning and in support of men’s learning. If you are part of HR and D&I teams, remember to remove that hat so you can personally apply concepts and themes.
• Allow men to do their own learning­. Allow space for others to make sense of new information, be confused, try out new behaviors, and make mistakes.
• Give yourself permission to experiment and take risks to further your partnership with men.
• Notice and then let go of any assumptions you may have about men and their intentions, ability, and willingness to take an active role in creating gender equity.
• Speak only for yourself. Notice when you feel you are being asked to speak for all women and redirect according to your own unique experiences and background.

Guidelines for Men

• Men tend look to women for “the answers” or “what to do.” While men should focus on creating dialogue with women, they also need to take responsibility for their own learning and work with other men to lead efforts for change.
• Don’t make the woman a token. If there is only one woman present, she doesn’t necessarily speak for her gender and shouldn’t be assumed to be the voice for all women. Don’t be afraid of making mistakes in front of women. MARC programs are a place to learn new skills that may be uncomfortable at first. Women should be supportive of this process and, when appropriate, challenge men in constructive or encouraging ways. Being accusatory or combative in MARC programs will undermine the learning process.
• Don’t expect women to perform the stereotypically feminine roles for the group. Too often, even in efforts to challenge the status quo, women are expected to be the note-takers, snack-bringers, and schedulers.