Simple Actions to Support Women
A practical list for anyone who wants to do more than celebrate Women's History Month.
In 2017, at the height of the tech industry’s harassment scandals, I wrote 27 specific actions anyone could take to support women at work. Men in power were busy making solemn, public, we-really-mean-it-this-time promises to be decent human beings. The bar, as I noted at the time, was on the floor.
I wanted something more useful. For a while, it seemed like the industry was finally ready to do the work on its own. Budgets got allocated. Titles got created. Training got scheduled.
Then the pendulum swung hard the other way. DEI is a dirty word. The bro energy that briefly went underground got loud again. The pledges got quietly archived.
So I went back and reread it, bracing for a major overhaul. Surely eight years had moved the needle.
Almost nothing needed changing. Make of that what you will - this list still matters.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day and head into Women’s Month, your feed has been full of inspiration posts. Celebrate, absolutely. And then pick something from this list and do it. Or maybe 10.
The 27 actions are organized into six categories: Talk, Listen, Connect, Support, Hire, and Showcase. They’re for everyone: men, women, leaders, individual contributors, people working for themselves. Pick your category, pick your action. Here’s my pick from each - and a link to the full list at the end.
Talk - Speak up and create space for others to do the same.
➡️ When you see something, say something. Don’t sit back and watch. Bad behavior that goes unchecked is dangerous - and right now, a lot of people are staying quiet to stay safe. That’s understandable. It’s also exactly how things get worse. You don’t need a speech. You need a moment of courage and a one-on-one conversation.
Listen - Actively seek out perspectives beyond your usual circle.
➡️ Ask a woman about her experience. A new hire. Someone who just got promoted. Someone who just left. Not a survey, not a focus group - just a real conversation. You will learn something. Guaranteed.
Connect - Use your position and network to open doors for others.
➡️ Give away the glory. Is there a meeting, an interview, a presentation coming up where you could step back and let someone else have the spotlight? Do that. Even better if it breaks up the pattern of who usually gets those moments.
Hire - Build diverse teams with intention, not just good intentions.
➡️ Put at least one woman on every interview panel. This one is structural. Candidates notice who’s in the room. So do your current employees. Who sits on a panel sends a message about who has a voice, who has influence, and what kind of place this actually is. Anyone involved in hiring can push for this.
Showcase - Change who gets the spotlight.
➡️ Put Women on Stage. Alive, well, and thriving - the manel (all-male panel) has got to go. This isn’t just about conferences. Look at your internal town halls, your leadership forums, your all-hands panels. Who’s up there? If you’re invited to speak or help organize, ask about the lineup. If it’s all men, say something. Use your spot to change it.
The full list of 27, originally published on NewCo Shift, is here: Right Here, Right Now: 27 Simple Actions to Support Women in Tech.