Female rights in the workplace have been a bone of contention for decades. Battles over pay, maternity leave and the infamous 'glass ceiling' have been raging for generations. In some professions and companies, they still are.
I am all for equal rights. I do not think that men should be paid more than a woman who has the same amount of experience. I loved reading Katharine Graham's authobiography and I feel extremely proud when I think of the advances that women have made over the years.
However, I have to say that this post, which argues that female PR practitioners are not taken seriously, grated on my nerves ever so slightly.
The author of the post, Nicola Miller, infers that films such as 'Sex and the City' and 'Bridget Jones', do not acurately reflect the reality of the public relations industry and that they have a negative impact on how female consultants are perceived.
I completely disagree with this view. I do not think that people look at a show like 'Ab Fab' and presume that the PR profession is exactly like it is on the show. I think that we need to give people a little more credit than that. I certainly never watch an over-the-top crime related TV series such as 'CSI' and think that it is an accurate depiction of the average day in a crime scene investigator's life. I don't tune into a show like 'Shortland Street' and think that hospital nurses are exposed to serial killers, adultery and kidnappings on a daily basis. The majority of people are intelligent enough to see programs like this for what they are: fun sources of escapism that are gloriously unrealistic, daft and indulgent!
I am all for equal rights. I do not think that men should be paid more than a woman who has the same amount of experience. I loved reading Katharine Graham's authobiography and I feel extremely proud when I think of the advances that women have made over the years.
However, I have to say that this post, which argues that female PR practitioners are not taken seriously, grated on my nerves ever so slightly.
The author of the post, Nicola Miller, infers that films such as 'Sex and the City' and 'Bridget Jones', do not acurately reflect the reality of the public relations industry and that they have a negative impact on how female consultants are perceived.
I completely disagree with this view. I do not think that people look at a show like 'Ab Fab' and presume that the PR profession is exactly like it is on the show. I think that we need to give people a little more credit than that. I certainly never watch an over-the-top crime related TV series such as 'CSI' and think that it is an accurate depiction of the average day in a crime scene investigator's life. I don't tune into a show like 'Shortland Street' and think that hospital nurses are exposed to serial killers, adultery and kidnappings on a daily basis. The majority of people are intelligent enough to see programs like this for what they are: fun sources of escapism that are gloriously unrealistic, daft and indulgent!
Many people have a skewed understanding of public relations. However, I would argue that the actions of individuals such as Alistair Campbell have had more of an impact on this than a few silly references in 'Absolutely Fabulous.'
I believe that it is the duty of PR practitioners, both male and female, to educate clients and prospective clients on what public relations is and what it can do for their businesses. This can only be done by proving that PR delivers a tangible return on investment.
Now, let us take a final look at how female PR practitioners are faring. According to the most recent PRiNZ salary survey, women are dominating the PR industry with 73% of current practitioners being female. This trend is only set to increase; a mere 13.5% of respondents under 30 years of age were male. Only in the 50 plus age category are males and females equally represented.
In my opinion, despite the obvious attempt by SATC to muddy our professional reputation (sarcasm intended), things are not looking too bad for us girls. What do you think?
Now, let us take a final look at how female PR practitioners are faring. According to the most recent PRiNZ salary survey, women are dominating the PR industry with 73% of current practitioners being female. This trend is only set to increase; a mere 13.5% of respondents under 30 years of age were male. Only in the 50 plus age category are males and females equally represented.
In my opinion, despite the obvious attempt by SATC to muddy our professional reputation (sarcasm intended), things are not looking too bad for us girls. What do you think?
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