PROMOTING WOMEN’s PARTICIPATION AND
BRIDGING GENDER GAPS IN THE
PROFESSIONS AND PUBLIC LIFE –
ACHIEVEMENTS, RELEVANCE AND
PROSPECTS:
A PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL’s
PERSPECTIVE
Presentation by: Mrs. Rhoda E. Appiah
G-RAP YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GENDER FORUM
Thursday, 18th November, 2010
Outline of Presentation

Gender Mainstreaming in brief;

Public Relations Defined;

PR practice in Ghana and the role of women;

Personal Experience;

Gender Mainstreaming – Way Forward
GENDER MAINSTREAMING IN BRIEF

Gender mainstreaming has been defined variously but
for the purposes of this paper it can be understood as
considering the participation, the impacts and
implications for any undertaking-policies, programmes
and institutions-on men and women differentially in
order to achieve more equitable results and equal
access to benefits and opportunities.

By definition, it involves integrating a gender
perspective and gender analysis into all stages of
designing, implementing and evaluating projects.

It is important to emphasis that over the years,
professional work have been societies’ most
contested areas of equality as it is closely
linked to power and occupational control
which parallel gender, class and race
cleavages (Parry and Parry, 1976).
PUBLIC RELATIONS DEFINED


PR practice is a planned and sustained management
process that seeks to build a desirable corporate image
for any institution particularly in relations to its
stakeholder engagements.
Globally, PR practice governed by the Stockholm
accord which is premised on 2 main principles:
- The Value-Creation Networks paradigm; and
-The Contextual leadership paradigm.
PUBLIC RELATIONS IN GHANA



In Ghana, the practice of PR as a profession in Corporate
Ghana dates back a couple of decades.
As a profession there are varied areas of specializations
such as: Corporate Affairs, Corporate Communications,
Government Relations, Media Relations Investor Relations
etc.
The profession is regulated by the Institute of Public
Relations (IPR), Ghana.
GENDER STATISTICS IN PUBLIC
RELATIONS PRACTICE


Records available at IPR reveal a marked gender
imbalance across all categories of memberships.
Membership
Categories
No. of
Women
No. of
Men
Total
% of
Women
Fellows
4
6
10
40%
Accredited
63
120
183
34.4%
Associates
62
99
161
38.5%
8
8
16
50%
Affiliates
Past
Executives
Present
Executives
WHY WOMEN MUST BE IN PR?



Women are more interested in their image;
Women are largely driven by passion to work
and can best hand corporate responsibility
activities;
Women are more likely to be honest and
easily believed and can be effective in
sensitive areas like the extractive industry,
procurement and can best advocate on social
issues and receive cooperation (eg: NGO’s)
WHY THE GENDER IMBALANCE?



The constraints of lower levels of education in
the past;
The challenge of women being taken as
seriously as their male colleagues (traditional
believes that women cannot be linguists);
Women’s professionalization and growth
affected by the demands of their homes and
other ancillary roles;
IMBALANCE cont’d


The lateral nature of growth in the profession
on the part of many women;
However, in spite of the low numbers, women
have shown commitment to the Institute and
the development of the profession by their
willingness to put themselves up for
nomination of office at the executive council
level notwithstanding their demanding official
and domestic interfaces.
PR IN THE PUBLIC & PRIVATE
SECTOR


A good majority of these women PR
practitioners expecially those in the
Accredited Membership categories are
heading the PR Departments in their
companies especially in both the public and
private sectors;
However, very few have mastered the courage
to set up their own PR consortiums as
opposed to their male counterparts.
IMPACT OF WOMEN IN PUBLIC
RELATIONS


Despite the fact that women in PR seem to be
excelling in their career. It is important to
investigate the reasons for their less
involvement in public life. For instance, why
are women PR practitioners not serving as
spokespersons for their political parties,
gender activists, and contributing to public
policy discourse in the country?


Are the few women making impact being
celebrated as a source of encouragement to
younger ones?
Why have stakeholders such as GIJ, School of
Communications, IPR etc not making any
effort at mainstreaming gender in the
profession.
Some Achievers






Madam Joyce Aryee-CEO of Chamber of
Mines
Mrs. Agbozo-1st President of IPR
Mrs. Regina Addai-Mensah
Mrs. Margaret Amoakohene-Former Ghana’s
Ambassador
Ms. Esther Cobbah-Ghana Rep. to the
International PR Association
Ms. Esther Ofori-Former CEO Ghana Trade
PERSONAL EXPERINCE



Entered into the profession at a relatively
young age with little experience;
There has been occasions where colleagues
would want to despise my youth;
But in all these I have kept my faith and stood
my grounds.
Gender Mainstreaming-Way Forward


Although attempts have not been made so far
in gender mainstreaming, I believe that the
prospects are high as a lot more of graduates
(women) passing out of tertiary institutions
(even without training in PR) are showing
interest in the profession and are enrolling as
affiliate members of IPR;
Women in PR practice should be encouraged
to aspire to higher educational achievements;
Way Forward cont’d


Since it is an advisory function of
management successful practitioners must
conduct themselves in a professional manner
in order to be accorded the respect and
credibility they so much require to deliver;
Women must be encouraged to be fast
learners;
Way Forward cont’d.

Women practitioners may explore the
possibility of entering into private practice
(consulting) after gaining enough experience
in the corporate world
THANK YOU!!