“In 2015, ‘awareness’ is out—action is in” — reads a TIME post for International Women’s Day. Agreed, it is time for more action around gender equality. It’s also time for more awareness. And more women!

Action, attention, and awareness keep men and women focused on the issues. Being under the microscope is good because without it progress slows, even stops.

And without it, South Carolina politicians will continue feeling free to think women are *sigh* “lesser cuts of meat.”

I work to challenge stereotypes and gender bias, and see three ways for women and like-minded men to make action and awareness of diversity and inclusion happen in 2015:

3 ways for women and men to make it happen

1. Partner up

Women can mobilize their gal pals and together keep the pressure on for change. Just as important is partnering up with like-minded men. Not every guy is comfortable with today’s business environment that’s based on competition and winning.

…the great paradox of our patriarchal culture (especially since experiencing significant challenges from women) is that the damaging forms of masculinity within our male-dominated society are damaging not only for women, but for men. ~Michael Kaufman, Ph.D.

Real, impactful change in gender equality isn’t the work of a single gender. Women and men working together is the answer for creating work environments where our daughters can both take charge and take care.

2. Be bold

When I conduct workshops about stereotypes, I use myself as an example, saying I’ve hit the trifecta of stereotypes:  I’m a woman, I’m blonde, and I’m overweight. So super-busy people  who rely either consciously or unconsciously on bias and stereotypes may take one look at me and conclude a whole host of factors:  I’m not intelligent, I’m emotional, I’m undisciplined, I bake cookies, and I eat too many cookies. From these conclusions, they decide there’s no good reason to get to know me better or be interested in what I have to say.

Mindlessness sets in when we rely too rigidly on categories and distinctions created in the past (masculine/feminine, old/young, success/failure). Once distinctions are created, they take on a life of their own. ~Dr. Ellen Langer

Women can change biases and stereotypes by pushing back, gracefully and tactfully, and sharing evidence that such broad-based, “mindless” beliefs are incorrect.

Silence harms us all.

3. Get power

It’s amazing how many women in my workshops tell me they don’t like power. No doubt, there are some power-hungry bad boys and queen bees out there that have used their power to promote their own agendas. However, let’s not use those bad examples as an excuse for not understanding and using power for the collective good.

A strong woman understands that the gifts such as logic, decisiveness, and strength are just as feminine as intuition and emotional connection. She values and uses all of her gifts. ~Nancy Rathburn

When women forfeit power, they forfeit control and hence the opportunity to introduce compassionate collaboration as a new norm of conducting business.

Ready to partner up, be bold, and get some power?!

Image source before quote:  morgueFile.com