DEEDS NOT WORDS Why Allyship Requires Action

By Lindsay MacDuff, Head of Inclusion

Madeleine Albright famously said that there is a special place in hell for women who don’t support other women. If that is true, the opposite must also be true. And there is no need to wait until the afterlife for the reward. Thus, it makes sense to focus on the International Women’s Day theme of “Give to gain”.

Friend of The Culture Colonel podcast and Women in Defence’s Woman of the Year 2025, Victoria Kinkaid subscribes, in her episode to the approach that we rise by lifting others!

However, the current uncertainty in the world warrants reflecting on the UN Women’s theme for International Women’s Day of “Rights. Justice. Action.”

The Suffragettes motto of “Deeds not words” is not just a call to action but also demands accountability.

Role of Ally

It may feel odd to some, even though my name means I am frequently misgendered, that I am offering observations around International Women’s Day. However, last year I wrote a blog about Male Allies (MALliEs). Today, the 24 actions for MALliEs remain just as relevant! If you want to add more to the list – go for it.

Cup Half Full

I spent years studying Gender, Women Peace and Security and Violence against Woman and Girls. Often, hearing women’s testimonies has meant I spend too long below the waterline, reflecting on what has gone wrong rather than recognising progress. It feels to me that celebrating success can generate complacency and every competitor knows the risks of resting on their laurels. The current environment also makes the prospects of regression and contagion very real; hence the need to reinforce the UN Women’s theme of “Rights. Justice. Action.”

Apathy to Action

I was struck, like many, by the power and eloquence of Elsa Court’s recent article about resilience and inaction:

Those who study the bystander effect will recognise this picture. The appetite for apathy perpetuates the status quo – it also fuels atrophied culture.

This is clear in the evidence of a serving soldier’s personal testimony in the House of Commons Defence Committee Report who wrote, “Until the observers are punished as severely as those who perpetrate the crimes, the culture will never change.”

Do Better- Be Better

Understanding is the first step to take action. Curiosity is a key component for learning and leads to knowing better and being better. The final step to secure change is captured in the motto of the Suffragettes who measured success by “Deeds not words”.

Deeds, Not Words

Many in the Army and beyond will not have read the Watts – Andrews Inquiry (2009). It was my “go to guide” for Action when I was Head of the Army’s Diversity and Inclusion team. It aimed to address concerns that, despite previous efforts to improve diversity, complaints of poor treatment were still reaching Employment Tribunals and causing severe public criticism of the Army.

It remains relevant for those determined to do better and be better. The preface included a St Augustine quote which still motivates me to act. It is also apt for the UN’ theme this year of “Rights. Justice. Action”