I recently had the privilege of moderating a panel for Global Women in PR, an organization dedicated to championing, connecting, and supporting women in senior PR and Communications roles, during the launch of its Annual Index.  

Now in its seventh year, the global index tracks and exposes a plethora of career-limiting issues for women in our industry that not only continue to exist, but depressingly in many cases seem to be getting worse, including harassment, progression, boardroom representation, ageism and the erosion of flexible working. 

I talked for almost an hour with four warm, talented, candid and whip-smart women at the top of their game, all of us slightly aghast that we were still having the same old conversations. And while I’m lucky to work for an agency led and shaped by kick-ass females - and have been fortunate never to experience these issues in a major way – for many of the near 1,000 respondents to this year’s survey that’s simply and sadly not the case. Here are some of the headlines: 

• Employer sentiment for flexible working is in decline – perceived positively by 61% (68% in 2023) 

• Half of women experienced some form of harassment at work, with a third leaving their organisation as a result 

• 57% of women who experienced harassment didn’t report it, up from 47% in 2023 

• Almost two fifths have taken career breaks, with the impact on their careers being overlooked for promotion and lower pay on returning 

• In the age group where we have the most experienced women we’re losing them – a fifth say they want to leave PR/Comms after 50 

This isn’t just uncomfortable reading, it’s unacceptable. 

For me, and many of my female peers, the rights of women around the world are on our minds. I worry that we’re entering a new era, where the gains towards equality we’ve fought for over many decades – at work, home and in society – are evaporating. 

Let’s take that little word, era. As it captures perfectly the key take outs of this year’s index: 

E is for erosion, the slow and toxic wearing away of women’s faith in the workplace systems designed to level our professional playing field. Witness a small but telling increase in the proportion of women (46%) who feel their promotion prospects are slowing down, impacted by childcare, other caring responsibilities and career breaks. 

R is for reluctance. The index reveals that the main reason women don’t report harassment is due to the ‘negative impact’ it might have on their career. Speaking of waning belief in the protocols - where they exist - designed to protect our workplace rights. 

But more optimistically, does the antidote for this lie in A for Allyship? In particular, senior women pointing the way forward (and calling out the BS as we go). I think so, and so do 71% of this year’s respondents, who believe more senior female role models will finally help blow open those boardroom doors. 

This ambition is captured brilliantly by Gloria Steinem, arguably the world’s most famous feminist and advocate for women’s rights. Admittedly she’s an obvious go to when you need a validating quote, but in this case, she nailed it when she said: “The future depends entirely on what each of us does every day.” 

As a senior woman, I for one am determined to leave this industry in a better state than which I found it. Let’s call out the BS every day – and make the next era, the era of allyship.