Gender in the public relations industry has been an issue for at least two decades, as the industry has seen a considerable influx of women into the practice over that time. Larissa A. Grunig is a noted author on the subject and wrote a book addressing these very issues, called Women in Public Relations: How Gender Influences Practice. She argues that with the feminization of the industry, both male and female practitioners face the threat of diminishing salaries and prestige.
My experience in the industry thus far has supported this notion of a female dominated profession. The MA course has been taught primarily by women, the majority of participants on the course are women, and my work experience has been at offices where a majority of the employees are women.
Our class debate on this issue asked the question if women would ever make it to the top of the industry, considering the fact that top positions are primarily occupied by men. I’ve had two internships at PR agencies that were founded and run by women, and both are very successful in my eyes. While I do acknowledge the overall trend of men occupying the majority of top positions, I don’t think it will necessarily stay that way. These women have been very knowledgeable of the industry, excel at developing and managing relationships, and clearly know how to run a business. There are some women who have these characteristics and other who don’t, just as is the case for men.
I will say that the office environment I’ve enjoyed the most had more of a balance between men and women. I also think it’s a shame that there is the stereotype of the profession that it is more feminine, considering the fact that I’ve worked with men who are extremely talented and just as capable in public relations. I think it is these stereotypes that have prevented men from developing an interest in the field and led to the inequality of gender within the industry. A person is by no means more qualified to be in PR because of their gender, but rather personal attributes and characteristics are what suit people to the job.
The fact there is an imbalance between male and female PR practitioners in all levels of the industry is one to pay attention to, but I struggle to see as pressing. Countless industries experience the same issue, whether it’s entirely accurate or based on an outdated stereotype. For example, there are certainly female bankers out there, but with the G20 protests in London this week, men were the primary target because they are the majority. In any case, as long as men and women both have an opportunity to succeed in the industry of their choosing on their own terms, there are certainly bigger issues to be worrying about.
