More Women Please

A man’s world; is that what the PR world has become?

It’s an interesting thought to have. With 62% of women making up the work force there are only 22% of women in senior positions. Men are almost twice as likely to be directors or partners of a PR company than women are. It is no wonder why a career dominated by women seems to actually be controlled by men.

Despite this it doesn’t mean women are not fit for these roles. Many people have argued that there are a lot less women in women senior positions because women are “good” at the more technical roles PR involves such as writing and communicating with clients. These technical roles are supposedly masking women leadership and business roles which are stopping them from reaching the highest positions. Perhaps a biased approach but women can rule too, perhaps even better.

An older article from Management Today used some power words noting that women are:

“ferociously intelligent, hard-working ambitious and confident”

The article is an interesting one, as it broadcasts that it doesn’t matter whether your male or female both can get those high positions and get the job done. However within PR women possibly have a bit more to bring to the table in higher positions. PR could potentially be a more ethical practice if a fairer percentage of women had senior roles. Academic Aldoory argues that feminist values women have such as respect, equity, cooperation and being caring make women more socially inclined to be aware of ethical issues and more inclined to have an ethical practice. Further this theory that the technical roles women are “good” at are holding them back from senior positions is a myth. PR would actually be more efficient as women would be able to execute the technical communications role as well as managing clients and practitioners a key skill needed in these higher roles.

Being a woman shouldn’t be regarded as a negative on the way to the top. There are many inspiring women in PR such as Kellye Crane and Lisa Grimm all at the top of their profession, proving it can be done and is done well. Many women can and should rise to the challenge of perhaps questioning their employers on their policies on gender equality in senior position. Women have a lot to offer and more in PR and this should really be highlighted to them so… more women please.

Don’t you agree? What’s your perspective of how women are represented in PR?

By Nadine Phillips