Why Men Need to Step Up for Women’s Equality—and How I Plan to Do My Part

For a country that does so many things well, we’re not doing nearly enough to address the fact that women still do not have a full and equal role in our society, and that sexism, sexual harassment, and sexual assault are pervasive problems.

We’ve recently seen this problem boil over with the stories about Harvey Weinstein’s years of appalling abuse—following similar revelations about other media figures like Roger Ailes and Bill O’Reilly. But this isn’t a problem unique to the entertainment and news industries, or to New York and Hollywood. A new ABC News-Washington Post poll estimates that 33 million American women have been sexually harassed in work-related episodes. Another study found that 75 percent of victims who speak out have faced retaliation in the workplace for doing so. We feel horror over these reports and express disgust over these statistics, but we allow the toxic environments to continue as the next generation of women enters the workforce. Our failure to honestly address assault and harassment in our country intensifies the fear that this threat will be a permanent reality. How can we tolerate this?

We also see inequalities in the other ways we treat women in the workplace and in public life. Women make an average of 83 cents for every dollar men make, a discrepancy that’s even more drastic for women of color. Women make up less than 7 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs and 20 percent of the board members of those companies. And the U.S. Congress is 20 percent women, as high as it has ever been, but this still leaves America 101st in the world and below the global average. The Iraq national legislature is 25 percent women. Afghanistan, 27 percent. Rwanda, the global leader, is at 56 percent. Perhaps if there were equal representation for women in politics and in the workplace, we would not have perennial political battles over women’s health care, including the protected constitutional right of women to make their own reproductive health care decisions, with no equivalent debate over men’s health care issues.

All these realities—persistent instances of harassment and assault, discrimination and pay inequality, attacks on women’s health, our abysmal record of electing women to public office—must inspire America to be better.

Men need to step up and accept our central role in combating the sexism and harassment that stand in the way of true women’s equality. In 2016, I was proud to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate. After a lifetime of strong women being key to my success in work and politics, I hoped my own service might normalize the role of strong men supporting strong women leaders. But the attitudes toward Hillary that we saw on the trail—the “lock her up” chants, the “Killary” and “Shrillary” memes, the proliferation of bogus conspiracy theories and vulgar attacks—showed how far away American men are from respecting women and accepting our own role in combating sexism.

Coming out of that experience in 2016 and seeing the horrendous news reports and courageous firsthand accounts of women sharing their stories this past month, I am personally committed to doing this each and every day:

I will forcefully condemn sexual assault and harassment, wherever it occurs. I will not turn a blind eye to sexism and will call it out as unacceptable whenever I see it. I pledge to hold the men around me accountable and not dismiss lurid descriptions or grotesque conduct as “locker room talk” or “boys being boys.” It’s not enough for us to write that we condemn these despicable behaviors. We should use the advantages, opportunities, and, all too often, passes that are given to us by virtue of being men to fight back and speak out against sexism and abuse.

Men in leadership roles must advocate for women leaders and create environments where they can succeed and excel. We need to listen to women, hire women, promote women, and work for women (who, by the way, will make us better at our own jobs). I am grateful for the many strong women in my Senate office, on my campaign staff, and in my life, and I pledge to continue to use my role to bring more opportunities to more women.

We must permanently end the culture where a woman who speaks out faces doubt or retribution and where a woman who seeks power is defamed. I pledge my vocal support to women everywhere who fear—and indeed, know—that coming forward or speaking out will have negative consequences.

We need to take action. The truth is, right now in the year 2017, women—and women of color and LGBTQ+ women in even greater numbers—face a daily reality of sexism, harassment, and assault. And every man must examine how he can improve that reality. I’m ready to use the platform I have to speak up for those whom some would rather silence and stand up for those whom some would rather strike down. This is about whether we will be true to the foundational principle we proclaim for our nation: equality. Real men will join the fight to ensure equal opportunity for women.