An allyship can be described as an act when a person collaborates and stands in solidarity with a group of individuals who are marginalised in order to support the removal of the barriers that prevent that group from enjoying equal access to opportunities and basic rights in our society.
Although our present usage of the term in relation to social justice is relatively recent, allyship is not a new concept. The concept of allyship originates from conflict, and conflict existed long before the debates over colonialism, slavery, and policy that occur today. For example, when a region was at war with another territory, giving assistance in the form of cash, food, livestock, land, weapons and warriors was the definition of an ally.
Various business strategies and campaigns can be used to display allyship as an organisation as a whole. For example, Steve Easterbrook, the CEO of McDonald's, and other senior executives altered their LinkedIn profile images to reflect the launch of their new DEI Strategy, replacing the iconic McDonald's arches with an upside-down version. This illustrates the leaders of the company's dedication to challenging the gender norm by continuing to be conscious of implicit bias.
