This past Friday marked the 34th Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day sponsored by the Women in Sports Foundation. For girls, this day represents the fight for justice, equality and acceptance in sports.
This year’s theme, “Lead Her Forward,” has prompted organizations like Little League Baseball and Softball to look back at inspirational stories of girls and women who have helped lead the way and celebrate throughout March in honor of Women’s History Month.
While milestones have been accomplished for woman on the field, this day also reminds us that there is still much work to be done off the field, especially in the public relations industry.
For years, females have dominated the PR industry. That is, until you reach leadership positions.
In the Business 2 Community article, “Woman in the Public Relations Industry,” Mikaela Farasyn explains that although woman makeup two-thirds of the PR industry worldwide, 78% of the CEOs in the leading 30 PR agencies are men and they hold 62% of the boardroom seats.
Even more shocking in the article, “Woman in PR USA Releases Global Gender Pay Gap Annual Survey Results,” published by The Organization of American Woman in PR, it reveals when it comes to salaries, there is a gender gap of $6,072 per year. While the average salary for men in PR is $61,284, women earn a salary of $55,212 for the same job with the gap widening at the highest level.
Similarly in the article, “These are the Reasons Why We (Still) Don’t Have Many Woman CEOs,” from Fast Company,Michael Holmes suggests these statistics are partly caused by stereotypical qualities associated with being an effective leader. While men are seen as natural leaders when they exhibit traits like “aggression, ambition and dominance,” women are viewed as “unfeminine.”
In the talk segment, “Why Major U.S. Companies Still Have So Few Woman CEOs,” on NRP, host Ari Shapiro and guest journalist Vauhini Vara offer solutions for this alarming fact, which has been so tough to solve even though women enter the workforce at similar rates than men. Vara’s research suggests companies should change performance reviews so employees are judged by the results they bring rather than time they spend at the office. Additionally, make mentorship and sponsorship of women a priority. As well, change the perception of what a leader looks like.
Together, women too can create change. We need to advocate for ourselves and each other to close what Women in PR call the “confidence gap,” as twice as many women say they are not confident asking for a promotion or pay raise as compared to men. We need to be confident in our skills and knowledge. And most importantly, we need to walk into the interview or meeting with the same self-confidence as we have playing on the field.