Why do so many women disappear from PR and Comms?

The latest CIPR report reveals up to 4,000 are missing from senior PR and Comms positions in England and Wales alone.

This is not a symptom of a talent crisis. It’s the symptom of a value crisis. We’re losing a huge amount of value from the industry by failing to give women what they need to thrive throughout their whole career – organisations are losing out on the financial, strategic, and creative contributions that experienced female leaders bring.

Madeleine Weightman, co-founder of The Work Crowd, chaired a LinkedIn Live panel – Disappearing Women in PR & Communications – What's at Stake. hosted by The Worshipful Company of Communicators to discuss the problem and, more importantly, what we can all do about it.

Madeleine was joined by Aceil Haddad, Founder of Matt PR and Patricia Hamzahee OBE FRSA, Co-founder of Extend Ventures and Black Funding Network. Read the key takeaways from their discussion here:

• Systemic barriers still exist – and the stats prove it

A key point of discussion throughout the panel was the idea that we often talk about the situation “getting better”, and yet statistics paint a different picture.

Whereas 60% of comms and PR practitioners are women, the majority of professionals at Director level (54%) are male. Anecdotally, our panel agreed broadly that they’ve all witnessed peers and older colleagues disappearing from the work force – or rather, being pushed out before they reach senior positions – due to systemic barriers.

Aceil noted how subtle workplace behaviours, such as microaggressions and exclusionary practices, contribute to a culture that actively contributes to these cultural and structural obstacles.  

• Women who have children are still unfairly penalised

The situation becomes even more worrying when discussing family planning and maternity leave. Aceil, who shared her experience of being fired while pregnant, highlighted a poignant truth – “I was never officially fired for being pregnant. I was doing great, until I wasn’t. And I speak to dozens of women who have had the same experience. It’s often cleverly done.”

The statistics around this issue, unfortunately, speak to this point. A survey recently found approximately 74,000 women a year are fired or made redundant while pregnant or on maternity leave.

• Comms and PR remains unfairly biased

The panel explored how workplace cultures dominated by entrenched networks of male leaders hinder women’s advancement. Madeleine, Patricia, and Aceil all stressed the importance of seeing more women in leadership positions to create systemic change. And Patricia drew attention the stark disparities in venture capital funding, with only 1% going to Black female founders, making it significantly harder for women to build and scale businesses in the communications sector.

So, what can we do about it?

• Call on men to actively work to move the needle

Men have a huge role to play in driving this conversation. From speaking up as allies when they see non-inclusive practices, to taking real action – making the most of paternity leave, for example. Aceil spoke of the low uptake of shared parental leave by men, with only 2-5% choosing to take it at all. This is harmful as it perpetuates traditional gender roles. The panel agreed that men need to take greater responsibility for childcare and household duties to level the playing field. P

Patricia suggested that men in leadership should actively recommend women for leadership positions and speaking opportunities, while Madeleine called for a more collaborative workplace culture that values and supports all contributions.

• Drive a culture where women support women

It’s so important for women in senior leadership positions to open the door for as many women as possible. How you do this varies from company to company, role to role, but wherever possible, women should seek out and create professional networks to share experiences and offer mutual support.

• Implement flexible working policies, and have both men and women use them

Businesses must implement policies that support flexible working and move away from a presenteeism culture. It’s no use implementing flexi-hours or other performative measures if both men and women aren’t actively encouraged to make use of them.

We need to avoid businesses – and male allies – talking the talk about inclusive practices without actually walking the walk.  

The webinar ended on an optimistic note, with a collective call for ongoing dialogue and action. The challenges facing women in PR and communications are not insurmountable, but they require intentional efforts from both individuals and organisations. By fostering a more equitable culture and breaking down systemic barriers, the industry can ensure that talented women do not continue to disappear from leadership roles.

This conversation is just the beginning — continued efforts will be key to driving lasting change.