by Deepali Narsiker, Head of Allyship, Women in Streaming Media

As a global networking organisation, the mission of Women in Streaming Media (WSM) is to increase diversity and give more visibility to women leaders in the streaming media industry.

To do this, WSM will create forums and events to connect women, provide mentorship and internship programs for nurturing women’s participation and access to leadership roles, and promote opportunities to help women achieve their goals.

In 2024, WSM launched the Allyship Pillar. Allyship is more than an idea; it is an ongoing action. Like any part of company culture, allyship should be modelled at the top. It’s a key element of leadership. Allyship means using your voice, influence, and privilege to support and stand with underrepresented communities. It’s about challenging bias, amplifying others, and creating an inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive. With our Allyship Pillar, we create a network of allies leading by example.

The Allyship Pillar offers a flexible way to get involved with WSM. Through Ask Me Anything sessions, expert panels, hands-on workshops, and shared resources, we help people learn, share, and practice real-world allyship. Our Ally of the Month series highlights individuals making a meaningful impact. These monthly calls celebrate their efforts, share insights, and inspire others to take action. Over the past year, the Allyship Pillar has sparked some vital conversations, on topics from inclusive leadership to creating lasting cultural change.

Allyship becomes even more important during challenging times. When systems are shifting, even small actions, like speaking up for a colleague or promoting under-represented voices, can have a big impact. In these moments, allyship isn’t just helpful, i’s essential.

At WSM, we believe lasting change comes from working together. Let’s keep building momentum, lifting each other up, and encouraging more leaders to genuinely lead by example.

Ready to start your allyship journey or get involved? Reach out to us at:

allyship@womeninstreamingmedia.org

We’d love to hear from you!