1571: Does Gender Equality Just Happen? The “Naturalization of Inclusion” (12027)

Male leaders play a critical role in promoting gender equality in organizations. Despite scholarly attention, understanding how they resist gender inclusion remains incomplete. We explore perceptions of gender-related policies among white cisgender men in C-level positions within 30 organizations recognized by a global consultancy firm as the best workplaces for women in Brazil. Drawing from 24 interviews from a total of 86, including CEOs from national and international companies with different diversity programs' maturity. The pattern of findings reveals an intriguing paradox: despite the award recognition for inclusive practices, these leaders consider that gender equity occurs organically. They share a vision we describe as the "naturalization of inclusion" concept, in which women and other groups are included naturally without direct intervention. By advocating inclusion as a “natural” process, this perception reveals subtle resistance to targeted efforts and formal policies while presenting conflicting discourses on gender-related topics. Results illustrate how stereotyping, meritocracy, and humor are manifestations of subtle diversity resistance during the naturalization of inclusion phenomenon. Furthermore, findings indicate that diversity program maturity only partly impacts C-level perceptions of gender inclusion. Practical contributions highlight the need for the maturation of targeted diversity programs and leadership training to face constant change.

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