Female Practitioners in Public Relations: We're Stronger Together

Katarzyna Krok

“There is a lesson to be learned about the catalytic effect of coordination. Those of us eager to increase women’s power and influence can’t rely on other people’s sense of ethics or self-interest. We need to amplify the pressure they’re feeling.”

 – Melinda Gates (2019) for Harvard Business Review 

A recent article by Simone Batelaan (2019) highlights the paradoxical state of gender parity in the Dutch public relations (PR) field: only 1 in 5 seniorPR practitioners are women. This is a stark comparison to the 75% of total PR jobs that are occupied by women. To you, as a fervent feminist, it shouldn’t be surprising that this disparity is not unique to the Netherlands. For example, an article by Yeomans (2019) reports that women occupy 64% of PR positions in the United Kingdom while only 36% are at board level. Yes, yes – I hear you: women are dominating the PR field! But, that is only half of the battle. The percentages above are telling us that women are somehow being barred from advancing in the PR field.  

Naturally, let us talk about solutions to this paradox! If you have read Batelaan’s article, you’ll be well-versed on her solution: education. In other words, we should prepare young professionals to enter the PR field equipped with leadership skills, salary negotiation tactics and knowledge of gender disparities (Batelaan, 2019). While I value this approach, I believe it essential to address the cultural and systemic barriers that women face in the PR field. In addressing these barriers, I am making a call for a more collective and systemic approach to change.

Stronger Together 

Sheryl Sandberg promoting her book
"Lean In: Women, Work and the Will to Lead"
(Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)

Batelaan’s article rightly illustrates PR as a historically gendered profession, “[…] we are still stuck with social constructions about the good-in-writing-womenversus the managerial-male-boss” (pp. 3). However, there is also a more contemporary cultural barrier at play; namely, neoliberal feminism. This barrier is a sinister one as it takes on the guise of female empowerment. As Yeomans (2019) states, “[n]eoliberal feminism…  ‘forges a feminist subject who is not only individualized but entrepreneurial in the sense that she is orientated towards optimizing her resources though incessant calculation, personal initiative and innovation’ (p. 132; as in Rottenberg, 2014). While this is a seemingly noble effort, it lacks the fundamentals that feminism was built upon through, “[…] the absence of political engagement in these decisions…” (p. 133). Actually, this brand of feminism is more successful in pitting women against each other than moving them forward. From this, we must be wary of education (a resource) as the single solution as we risk burdening young PR professionals with the responsibility to solidify equality for themselves. 

What do Samantha Jones, Sheryl Sandberg and Neoliberal Feminism have in common? 

Kim Cattrall as Samantha Jones
 on "Sex and the City"
(Photo by Bill Davila/Film Magic)

Yeomans’ (2019) study provides a powerful insight into how, “[…] feminist practice may be constrained when PR itself, particularly consultancy/agency practice, embodies the ideas of neoliberal capitalism, and is tasked with promoting those ideas” (p. 129; as in Cronin, 2018). Do we need some examples from popular culture? Enter Sheryl Sandberg (author of the highly critiqued manifesto Lean In)and Samantha Jones (character in popular 90s TV series Sex and the City). Both of these cultural icons exemplify neoliberal feminism by embodying so-called power-women. Rather than pursuing collective equality, Sheryl Sandberg and Samantha Jones perpetuate the ideal that women should be their own change through self-development (Yeomans, 2019). If only women were more authoritative in negotiating salaries and demanding for promotions!If only women would lean in a little more! These notions are problematic because they shift the responsibility from the collective us – women, men, organizations, stakeholders, governments and etc. – to individuals. Let us celebrate women's achievement, but let us also help women to achieve.  

Enacting Feminism in PR

If we are serious about closing the gap, it is imperative that the field of PR resists notions of neoliberal feminism. It is not the responsibility of women to be more educated, more authoritative or to just lean in. Instead, we must focus on solutions that value collective and systemic change. There are a multitude of possibilities, which a looming word-count will not permit me to discuss exhaustively. However, an article by Melinda Gates outlines 3 valuable strategies: dismantling barriers, fast-track advancement and amplify external pressure. These approaches retain Batelaan’s call for education, but also incorporates notions of demanding a more transparent, permeable and accountable system. 

Strategies for Reaching Gender Equality. Adopted from "Gender Equality is Within Our Reach," by M. Gates, 2019, Harvard Business Review. (Visual self-created by author through Canva)

Yes to Education 

I would like to close this article by reiterating my support for Batelaan’s approach of educating young PRPs about gender disparity in the field. In fact, our solutions complement each other. While we are preparing young PRPs to leave the ivory-tower and enter the field, let’s also make them aware of their capacity to facilitate collective action. 

About the Author

Katarzyna (Kasia) Krok is a Master’s candidate at the University of Amsterdam and Exhibitions Intern at World Press Photo Foundation. Originally from the west-coast of Canada, Katarzyna has spent recent years living, working and studying in Europe amongst an international community. As such, she is consistently inspired by new topics, languages and ways of living. Aside from being a regular contributor to the Public Relations Blog, she is an activist for climate change, food security and reducing plastic waste. Her research interests are focused on the not-for-profit sector, legitimacy and corporate activism/citizenship. 

References

Batelaan, S. (2019). Paradoxical PR Playground: A Lack of Leadership Roles for Women in a Predominately Feminine Industry. PR Media & the Public.

Gates, M. (2019). Gender Equality is Within Our Reach: We’ve never had a chance like this before. Here’s how we seize it. Harvard Business Review. 

Yeomans, L. (2019). Is a ‘new feminist visibility’ emerging in the UK PR industry? Senior women’s discourse and performativity within the neoliberal PR firm. Public Relations Inquiry, 8(2), 127-147.