Reflections on allyship at the Ada Festival

This month, I had the privilege of attending a thought-provoking employer roundtable hosted at Glasgow University as part of the Ada Festival – an event dedicated to promoting gender diversity in STEM. Around 15-20 representatives from a variety of workplaces, all passionate about DE&I, gathered to exchange insights into how allyship can drive progress in the workplace. 

The event kicked off with a presentation on Allyship - a concept that plays a pivotal role in making workplaces more inclusive. The discussion initially focused on “microaggressions” (questions, statements or assumptions that relate to someone’s identity and are specifically targeted at marginalised groups). However, the discussion quickly broadened to many other aspects of Allyship and DE&I.

The forum was conducted under “Chatham House rules”, which means that whilst I can’t share specifically who said what, there were some important themes raised that are worth highlighting.

Key Themes and Learnings

The discussion covered some of the common challenges and successes that people have encountered in their role as allies. Here are a few key things that emerged from the discussion:

• “Intentional” allyship is vital: While many workplaces are keen to support DEI initiatives, true progress requires deliberate and active efforts from allies. It's not enough to say, or “passively agree”, that we support gender diversity; we need to be visible advocates. This doesn’t need to be a big campaign, but it can include small daily actions from calling out biases in meetings to mentoring underprivileged colleagues. The point being that without role modelling what a good ally looks like, less experienced allies will have no examples to learn from.

• Inclusive policies must be backed by culture: Many organisations have strong diversity policies on paper, but these can be undermined by a company’s culture that doesn't fully embrace inclusion. As several attendees pointed out, creating an inclusive culture means fostering an environment where everyone feels safe and valued enough to share their perspectives without fear of judgement.

• Yes - allyship can feel risky - but it’s worth it: One of the more candid parts of the discussion revolved around the fear of making mistakes as an ally. Many attendees admitted that the fear of saying the wrong thing or overstepping boundaries can sometimes hold people back. However, it was widely agreed that any mistakes - if they come from a place of learning and humility - are part of the learning process and so it’s better to try, listen, and learn than to stay silent.

For me, the Ada Festival roundtable was a reminder that allyship is both an opportunity and a responsibility. For us, that means nurturing our allyship Programme, where we’ve trained a further 50 colleagues this year, bringing our total number of allies to 92. With at least one ally based in each of our business areas, we’re actively ensuring every team has a trained individual to support any colleagues in underrepresented groups and advocate inclusive policies and practices within their team.  

Thanks again to Chris for sharing his own and Hymans’ experiences of allyship with our other employers at the roundtable. It was so valuable to hear how the firm is actively committed to staff wellbeing through inclusive initiatives, taking practical steps to improve DEI and address the imbalances that impact the broader industry.

-Anna Doyle, Ada Scotland Festival Manager.

As allies, we can help break down barriers that persist in STEM, but we must be intentional, consistent and brave in our efforts. Whether it's amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, advocating for and supporting inclusive policies, or simply being vulnerable and open to learning, every action we take can help create a more equitable future for us all.