March marks Women’s History Month, a time to recognize the many contributions women have made to help shape society as we know it. Here at Coyne, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month through a series of activations that highlight the women we work with as well as the many women who have helped pave the way for the goal of gender equality, including:
- It Matters Monday, our weekly informational series, will include videos that shed light on important topics for women and gender equality, including a deeper dive into reproductive rights and the global history of women’s rights
- A Roundtable Discussion, moderated by Coyne’s Senior Communications Strategist, Janet Schiller. This discussion is an open and frank conversation with several of Coyne’s female senior/executive leadership team members about their experiences and lessons learned in navigating challenges to achieving career goals and leadership roles.
- A Lunch and Learn with Linda Bernstein Jasper, Senior Vice President, who will identify some of the common barriers and pitfalls women face when it comes to speaking – including presenting, speaking in brainstorms, client meetings, or even fly-by hallway conversations – and how to overcome them.
It is inspiring to see so many strong women in leadership positions at Coyne. For those of us that work in public relations, it’s clear that women predominantly make up the industry. In fact, American Women in Public Relations, a network of leading women in the field of public relations, revealed that women make up 64% of PR specialists nationwide. I’ve had that opportunity to work alongside brilliant women as both colleagues and clients who have taught me countless skills throughout my career.
Here are just a few of the historic milestones in which women have helped transform the PR industry:
- Belle Moskowitz was the first woman to open a public relations firm in the 1920s
- Inez Kaiser became the first Black woman to found a PR firm in the U.S. in 1957
- In 1973, Betsy Plank was named the first woman to be president of the Public Relations Society of America
- In 1994, female Denny Griswold founded Public Relations News (now known as PRNEWS), the world’s first public relations newsletter
- President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris announced the first all-female White House communications team in 2020
As a woman in public relations and a member of Coyne’s DEI committee, I recognize that while there have been fantastic strides for women in history, more work remains. For instance, women and advocates are still fighting for reproductive rights and access to healthcare and education across the country. We must do our part as communicators to drive change, condemn stereotypes and discrimination and truly help #breakthebias.
This month, as we celebrate the incredible women who helped developed our society, we must continue to share education and awareness on the topics that still affect women worldwide and mobilize together with an overall goal for gender equality.
