From the President's Desk: Celebrating Strong Women in PR & Communications
Whether I realized it or not, I have always been surrounded by strong women. Those who are nurturers and leaders. Those who are creative and professionally polished. Those who are adept and take care of business. Those who are caretakers of their family, friends, colleagues and clients. Those who are role models. In fact, most of us in the public relations and communications industry, by default, know women or have women in our lives that might fit each or all of these bills.
I am in awe of the women who are pioneers in our field who created and grew their own agencies. PRSA Chicago is fortunate to have had and continue to benefit from the expertise of a number of these incredible women leaders.
I am in awe of the women who, throughout the pandemic, remained working professionals while taking on the additional role of teacher for their little ones when schools were closed. A number of our chapter members struggled through those challenges and some may still residually be balancing those roles.
And, I am often in awe of the women who have, for years, worn multiple hats. In addition to being a working professional, some are additionally a significant other, a parent to children and/or fur babies, a caretaker for an aging parent, a volunteer to others in need, and so much more.
But have you also wondered who takes care of those strong women? The ones who go out of their way to help others? The ones who seem to do it all and make everything look effortless? The ones who had a rough go and, despite encountering adversity themselves, ascend the leadership ladder and still choose to reach down to extend a hand to others?
Work has changed for almost everyone since 2020. In an industry with approximately 54 percent* women in the workforce, it isn’t enough to just have more women in the profession as a diversity initiative. Women, especially the ones who wear multiple hats, should be able to earn a seat at the leadership table to help inform the discussions around what makes sense for working professionals today. The reality is that no one person can do it all and have it all without a network of support.
In honor of National Women's History Month, let’s have honest conversations about what it takes to be a public relations professional, a communicator, and someone who might have to wear different hats. Learn about “Women Who Advocate for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion” through PRSA’s curated Women’s History Month resources.
I’ve recently heard that it’s not enough to have diversity in the room, as we also need to make that diversity work for our organization. In this case, it’s leveraging the diversity of experiences women have to bring different perspectives and help make our industry even more strategic and valuable.
Yours in service,
Kayee Ip
2024 Chapter President
PRSA Chicago
Kayee welcomes communication from PRSA Chicago members. Write to her at [email protected].
* Public Relations Specialists; Public Relations %26 Fundraising Manager. Data USA: The definitive place to explore US public data. Retrieved March 13, 2024 from https://datausa.io/.
