“Gender pay gap” is the biggest issue on the agenda of Women in PR USA, a new sister organization of Women in PR Canada, says WPRC chairwoman and president Talia Davis.

The Organization of Women in PR USA

WPR USA, which is taking part in the Global PR Summit at One World Trade Center June 8-9, will launch at a reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 9 at the Novotel Times Square.

The new group, said Davis, plans to build chapters throughout the U.S. It acknowledges the existence of New York Women in Communications but notes that its 2,000+ membership includes those from media, publishing, and other industries and is not PR-specific. Davis heads communications at AdvantageBC, which attracts business to British Columbia, Canada.

Talia DavisTalia Davis

The PR Society of America and Canadian PR Society have diverse memberships and can’t be dedicated to specific goals for women in PR, it further says. PRSA, with female membership of at least 70%, switched to a board with nine men and eight women in 2017 after several years of a woman-dominated board. The 2016 board had 12 women and five men.

Women Executives in PR, New York, merged with Advertising Women of New York in 2006. Washington Women in PR has a full slate of activities.

“Women are the driving force in PR,” says Advisory Council member Deirdre Breckenridge, CEO of Pure Performance Communications and one of the founders of WPR USA. “We are not just sitting back on the sidelines and watching change,” she adds. “We are making change happen.”

Individual memberships are $300; corporate, $1,020, and partner, $2,400. Men can join, and a number are active in the organization. Forms are here.

Women’s Pay at 83% of Males—Pew

A Pew report April 3, 2017, says pay of women employees in the U.S. in 2016 was 83% of pay for males, a slight gain over the 80% found for 2015.

The “PR Women Who Changed History” program March 9 in New York included statistics provided by Weber Shandwick that showed disparity in PR pay and titles. 

  • The ten largest PR firms, as ranked by several sources, employ 32,851 worldwide and 12,646 in the U.S., but none is headed by a woman.
  • Women are nearly 70% of PR firm employees but hold only 30% of top positions, according to The Holmes Report. Only 11% of ad agency creative directors are women.
  • Women have 52% of all professional jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and earn almost 60% of all undergraduate and master’s degrees.
  • While they are 78% of those in healthcare, only 15% are in senior executive posts and none are CEOs.
  • Women have 54% of financial services jobs but only 12% are executives and none are CEOs, according to the Center for American Progress.

Muriel Fox, who co-founded the National Organization for Women in 1966 while working as a VP at Carl Byoir & Assocs., told the March 9 meeting, “Today communications rules the world. It is the most important factor in deciding the fate of people everywhere. In fact, communication will decide the fate of the whole human race.”

Women are especially suited for PR because they are usually better at communications, perhaps because of their hormones and their ability to understand the needs and desires of others,” she said.

Need for National Organization Cited

"Our collective goal for Women in PR USA is to educate the PR leaders of tomorrow about where the industry is going, key technological changes, and traditional PR beliefs that need an upgrade," said Rebekah Iliff, chief strategy officer, AirPR.  "PR isn't what it used to be, and part of our job as organizational leaders is to support one another in moving the conversation forward." 

WPR USA said, “The expansion of the organization in the USA marks an important milestone in efforts to educate women in PR and to help them advance in the field across North America. One of the main goals when forming this organization was to provide a place for women to thrive earlier in their careers and to strengthen the capabilities of established PR leaders. Now more than ever, fostering growth and mentorship plays a guiding role in the longevity of our industry.”

Natasha Koifman, President, NKPR Inc., said, "The success of our company has been a result of being able to evolve and adapt in a constantly changing landscape. On a global level, we are in the midst of an incredible shift because of social media and advances in technology." 

Shannon Furey, PR Director, M studio, said, “Women in PR USA is focused on elevating women and is comprised of dynamic, industry-leading PR professionals. True success comes only when we support one another. We are working to close the industry's leadership gap and support the next generation of women PR leaders."

Members of the Advisory Council of the new group include Elisha McCallum, VP, Fleishman-Hillard; Gini Dietrich, CEO of Arment Dietrich and author of the book and blog Spin Sucks; Michelle Messenger Garrett, CEO, Garrett PR, and Alyssa Barry, investor relations consultant.

Directors are located in cities across the USA; Deirdre Breakenridge (New Jersey), Shonali Burke (Washington, DC), Gini Dietrich (Chicago, IL), Abbie Fink (Phoenix, AZ), Shannon Furey (NJ), Michelle Garrett (Columbus, OH), Rebekah Iliff (San Francisco, CA), Crosby Noricks (San Diego, CA), and Nicole Rodrigues (Los Angeles, CA).

PR for Women in PR Canada is being handled by Pink Pearl PR, Vancouver.