Happy International Men's Day!
15/11/2021
Written by Victoria Bacon
At SilverRail we believe in equality and inclusivity and are proud to be surrounded by incredible role moles – male and female – in their lives, in their work and with those around them.
We can work together for a better world with men and women of goodwill, those who radiate the intrinsic goodness of humankind – – Wangari Maathai
Today we are celebrating the great men we have in our lives, and our men powering the world of rail here at SilverRail.
We interviewed a few of them and here’s what they had to say:
What does an inclusive world mean to you?
“An inclusive world for me is one where regardless of gender (or otherwise) people are welcomed, encouraged and given opportunities to succeed.”– Senior Software Developer
“inclusive = equality”– Director of Customer Delivery
“All opinions, views, input, ideas, thoughts are valued. Appreciate our differences, not try to neutralise them but understand their strengths.”– Chief Global Strategy Officer
“humanism”– Site Reliability Engineer
Name one positive male role model you look up to?
“My father”– Director of Customer Delivery
“David Attenborough”– Head of UK Rail
“Barack Obama”– Commercial & Finance Manager
What is your go to for your own health & wellbeing?
“Going for a run always clears my head and gives me a nice endorphin rush at the end.”– Chief Global Strategy Officer
“Good food, exercise, stretching as well as simple tasks like making the bed”– Commercial & Finance Manager
“Silence, exercise and the outdoors”– Site Reliability Engineer
“Since Covid, definitely walking and listening to Podcasts. Prior to Covid, i’m not actually sure…Listening to various podcasts allows my mind to wander, walking adds to the important step counts whilst i’m at it.”– Director of Customer Delivery
In the last question we asked our team, we loved their awareness of breaking down the stereotypes and showing vulnerability. Recognising as part of our equality that at times, both men and women may be struggling….and it is not a sign of weakness, but of strength! In sharing this message and standing up with authenticity we will make steps towards a truly equal world.
We asked…men like women face a lot of pressure and challenges throughout their lives, what do you think is the biggest challenge for men and how can it be addressed?
“The biggest challenge for men is freeing themselves from gender stereotypes. And choosing who they want to be regardless of whether it is considered”manly”.It can be addressed by each of us accepting each other for who we are. And by being a role model for others by living our life by our own rules.”– Senior Software Engineer
“Balancing work/financial/family commitments can be difficult. Old school pressure on men was first to provide for the family, modern man needs to find the balance which can be hard.”– Chief Global Stategy officer
“The expectation to be on your game 24/7 and to be the one that holds it all together.”– Head of UK Rail
“Having a natural forum to discuss feelings. It is slowly getting better, but a societal shift takes time.”– Commercial & Finance Manager
“Breaking free of existing ways of being e.g., toxic masculinity”– Site Reliability Engineer
“The biggest challenge is certainly the old school mentality of men can’t/shouldn’t cry or have mental health problems. It is still prominent in society, however recently with famous people speaking openly about it, I do feel it’s becoming more ‘ok’ to admit that you aren’t ‘ok’. Words like ‘man up’ are used far less now which is a great thing.”– Director of Customer Delivery
