Every year on Aug. 26, Women’s Equality Day gives us an opportunity to recognize the progress women have made and reflect on where we go from here.
For those of us in public relations and communications, the day carries particular significance. Women have helped build, lead and transform our profession, shaping the stories organizations tell, counseling leaders through moments of change and increasingly taking their place at the highest levels of our profession.
There is much to celebrate, and there is still work ahead. Women continue to navigate disparities in pay, advancement, access to leadership and the ability to build sustainable careers at every stage of life. Those experiences can also vary significantly across race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age and other dimensions of identity.
This Women’s Equality Day, the PRSA Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee invited women from across our community to share what equality means for women in PR and communications today and where they see the greatest opportunity for continued progress.
We heard from the following dynamic women leaders:
- Patrice Tanaka, Founder & Chief Joy Officer, Joyful Planet LLC and Joyful Planet Foundation, and PRSA-NY Chapter Member
- Cheryl Overton, Founder and Chief Experience Officer, Cheryl Overton Communications
- Jocelyn Arellano, Senior Account Supervisor, Zeno Group
- Nicole Simpson, People & Transformation Executive
- Monica Earle, Global Head of Communications, Tinder and PRSA-NY Chapter Member
- Sade Teel, MA, PRSA Orlando Diversity & Inclusion Chair, and Senior Manager, Communications & PR, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts
- Christina Withey, SVP, Director of Talent Acquisition, Rubenstein Communications and PRSA-NY Chapter Member
- Adriana Maestas, CEO & Owner, A Call To Action, Inc. and OCPRSA DEI Board Member
Together, their perspectives offer a candid look at the progress women have made and the opportunities before us.
Building on Decades of Progress
Patrice Tanaka has witnessed significant change during more than three decades in the industry. When she cofounded PT&Co. in 1990, women held far fewer agency and senior corporate communications leadership positions than they do today. She credits that progress to sustained advocacy and employers willing to invest in policies that enabled women to build lasting careers.
“What made this progress possible was the ongoing push for gender equity, and employers who understood the value of investing in women and supporting working families. One of my proudest accomplishments at PT&Co. was implementing the PR industry’s FIRST ‘Paid Maternity Benefits’ program in 1991.”
Christina Withey sees the evolution of women’s leadership through her work connecting talent with opportunities across the PR industry. She has watched women grow from entry-level positions into influential roles across agencies and in-house communications teams.
“Women aren’t just present in the room — they’re setting agendas, crafting narratives, devising and executing strategy, and mentoring the next generation of leaders along the way.”
Their experiences show how sustained investment, workplace policies and access to career opportunities can change the trajectory of women across an entire profession. The opportunity today is to continue that momentum while ensuring women can translate their growing representation into lasting influence and leadership.
Creating Clearer Pathways to Leadership
For Jocelyn Arellano, progress means creating career pathways that reach women with different identities, backgrounds and lived experiences.
“It means ensuring they have equitable opportunities to lead, advance and shape the conversations and decisions that matter. Our greatest opportunity for continued progress is making sure those doors are open to all women, particularly those whose identities and experiences have historically been underrepresented.”
As a first-generation Latina and member of the first-generation LGBTQ+ community, Arellano has seen how mentorship, community, and intentional advocacy can help women navigate barriers and grow into leadership.
Sade Teel shares that focus on creating opportunities and sees women themselves as an important part of building what comes next.
“To me, women in PR and communications means more than having a seat at the table — it means having the confidence and opportunity to help build the table, shape the strategy and lead the conversation.”
Teel also points to the responsibility women have to bring others forward as they advance.
“When we create opportunities for ourselves while opening doors for the women coming behind us, we don’t just advance individually — we move our entire profession forward.”
Both perspectives speak to the value of mentorship, sponsorship and intentional advocacy. The progress of one woman can create momentum for many others when access, knowledge and opportunity are shared.
Advancing Pay Equity and Advocacy
Compensation remains an essential part of the equality conversation. Adriana Maestas has experienced the frustration of working alongside women to execute sophisticated communications programs while questioning whether gender continued to influence how their work was valued.
“To me, equality for women in PR and communications means women receive the same consideration for opportunities to execute PR campaigns and communications plans and they receive the same pay as their male counterparts.”
Transparency can be a powerful tool in addressing those disparities. Monica Earle recalls how another woman’s candor about negotiating additional compensation gave her a frame of reference when she later found herself carrying expanded responsibilities.
“We need more of that transparency between women, and we also need men to be active allies who advocate for women, open doors, and help ensure pay and opportunity are equitable.”
Earle’s experience demonstrates the impact colleagues can have when they share information and advocate for one another. Conversations about compensation, promotions and professional opportunities can give women greater context to understand their value and negotiate accordingly.
Using Our Influence for One Another
Networking has long played an important role in women’s advancement, particularly during periods of career transition. Nicole Simpson credits her own network with helping her navigate moments of significant transformation.
“Our greatest opportunity now is to turn that kind of community into action: advocate for one another, make the introduction, extend the opportunity, sponsor someone when she isn’t in the room and use our influence to open doors for others. Equality is using our collective power to ensure more women can lead and thrive.”
Cheryl Overton brings another dimension to that conversation: giving women the freedom to lead without diminishing themselves to accommodate the expectations of others. Earlier in her career, she was told she had “smart girl syndrome” because she asked too many questions, pushed too hard and sometimes made people uncomfortable.
“Translation: I was being asked to perform differently, to make my brand of excellence easier for other people to live with. Age, experience and entrepreneurship have changed my relationship with discomfort. Today, I think we need more of it.”
Overton has carried that conviction into GRWN
, her company’s practice focused on challenging how brands see and value people over 50, particularly women. Her perspective adds age and career longevity to a conversation that can too often focus primarily on women entering or ascending through the profession.
“The greatest opportunity for progress is to make equality something people have to practice, not just profess.”
Continuing the Work Together
The experiences shared by these eight women reflect how equality shows up throughout a career. It can begin with access to an opportunity and continue through compensation, advancement, workplace policies, mentorship, sponsorship and the ability to exercise genuine influence as a leader.
This Women’s Equality Day, the PRSA DEI Committee encourages our community to consider how each of us can contribute and keep the conversation going beyond Aug. 26. When women have equitable opportunities to contribute, advance, and thrive throughout their careers, we strengthen our workplaces, our communities and the PR profession itself.
Let us celebrate the progress we have made and continue working together toward the progress still to come.
Illustration: your-content
The post Beyond a Seat at the Table: Women in PR Define the Next Chapter of Equality first appeared on PRsay.