What Men Can Do to Reduce Gender Inequality in Science, Medicine, and Global Health: Small Wins and Organizational Change

Background: Gender inequality remains a pressing issue in science, medicine, and global health. Much of the scientific literature focuses on inequality-reduction strategies specific to women. Far less attention, however, has been paid to men’s roles in reducing gender-based barriers, despite that men dominate nearly all authority structures within science, medicine, and global health and thus have greater power to influence organizational cultures and women’s upward mobility. Methods: We review literature from business and social sciences, apply them to areas of science, health, and medicine, and deliver eight actionable, evidence-based recommendations with a distinct focus on involving men in organizational change. We highlight both “small wins” (practices that all men can implement) and organizational-level strategic culture and policy changes. Findings: Our recommendations are as follows: (1) Men should ensure that women have ample space to communicate their ideas; (2) Male leaders should seek out and highlight women’s contributions; (3) Men should take public stances against other men’s actions and language that demean, harass, and negatively stereotype women; (4) Men should actively promote cultural artifacts in organizations that equally represent both genders; (5) Leaders should implement policies that support work-family balance, such as flexible work arrangements and paid family leave; (6) Men should use flexible work arrangements and paternity leave options, encourage other men to do the same, and refrain from evaluating men and women differently when they use them; (7) Men should diversify their networks to include women and ensure they disperse information about advancement opportunities to both men and women; (8) Finally, men in leadership positions should advocate for, and, importantly, sponsor women. Interpretation: We argue that men play a critical role in reducing gender-inequality and can take concrete actions to promote the advancement of women in science, medicine, and global health. Funding: We received no funding for this work.