People in Comms, This WiC Event Is For You!

Light Reading's Women in Comms initiative to provide information, networking, mentorship, access to jobs and support for women in the next-gen communications industry was never really just about women. Supporting, empowering and promoting women in the workplace is an everybody issue.

It's good for business, it's good for culture and it's good for everyone when companies make diversity and inclusion a top priority. But, even for men in the industry who recognize this (which we know is many of you despite what past incidents like that ex-Google engineer's manifesto suggests), it can be hard to know how to best be an ally to the women in your company. Yet, it's so important you do so! Women in comms need you on our side -- it's really the only way we'll see true and lasting change in our industry. (See Google Fires Engineer Over Gender Manifesto.)

In preparing for WiC's upcoming networking luncheon on this very subject -- why male allies matter -- I came across a great resource for men in the tech industry that provides actionable, easy ways for them to support their female colleagues. The site, Male Allies, even has a Bingo card you can use to master tech diversity. (The site's author tells me the card was created as a positive spin on a Bad Ally Bingo game the Union of Concerned Feminists made for unhelpful things men like to say at conferences. like name dropping Sheryl Sandberg.)

The site's Twitter handle and newsletter also offers daily doses of wisdom for men in the industry on how they can be allies, including things like:

These are some of the ideas that we will be discussing over lunch with our Women in Comms members and their male allies at our next networking event in the UK on Nov. 1. We are thrilled to have some incredible speakers lined up, including:

To register for the upcoming WiC luncheon and panel in London on Wednesday, Nov. 1, sign up free right here. We look forward to seeing you all there!

Our panelists will speak with Light Reading's Editor-at-Large Carol Wilson first about why diversity in the workplace matters and why men should care about it as well. We'll also tackle how men can be better allies to women in ways big and small through mentorship, inclusive leadership, amplification and more. As always, we'll leave plenty of time for networking and taking your questions as well. If you are part of the people of comms, be sure to register for this free event today, taking part during Light Reading's OSS in the Era of SDN & NFV conference. Find out all the details and register right here.

— Sarah Thomas, Director, Women in Comms