Every powerful brand story has someone shaping it behind the scenes. Increasingly, that voice belongs to PR founders – leaders who blend intuition with strategy to transform communication into impact and build agencies that speak with purpose. Largely, the industry has seen women take on the challenge and become the founders. This year, for Women’s Day, we wander around the question – PR Is Female-Dominated – So Why Aren’t Leadership Roles?
Stuti Jalan, Founder of Women Inspiring Network & Crosshair Communications, is our contributor to this column.
Entry- and mid-level PR roles are heavily female, but numbers drop sharply at senior leadership. Are women leaving or are they being overlooked?
This is something I have observed for years. At junior and mid-levels in PR, you see so many sharp, capable women running the show. However, as you move up the ladder, the numbers visibly dip. I don’t think it is only about women being overlooked or choosing to leave, it is more layered than that.
Life stages play a big role. I have had many conversations where women shared how they took a break during crucial years for family, fully intending to come back at the same pace. But the industry doesn’t pause. Re-entering at the same growth track can feel harder than expected. The encouraging part is that organisations are waking up. I now see more structured return paths and leadership opportunities being created. The talent was always there. We are just learning how to retain it better.
Career breaks, caregiving responsibilities, and inflexible leadership expectations. Are leadership models designed around male career trajectories?
In India, we are fortunate to have strong family ecosystems and support systems to help us. Alongside this support, there’s also deep-rooted social conditioning. Many of us grow up internalising the idea that we must manage everything flawlessly, career, home and relationships. I remember feeling that silent pressure myself in the early years.
Traditional leadership models were built around uninterrupted, linear careers. That framework naturally aligned more with male career journeys. But today, I genuinely see a shift. There’s more acceptance that growth doesn’t have to be straight line or identical for everyone. We need to normalise flexible ambition where a different timeline is not seen as a setback, just a different rhythm.
Assertive women are labelled “aggressive,” while similar behaviour in men is seen as “decisive.” Why is confidence often perceived as arrogance?
This double standard is subtle but real. When a man is firm, he is called decisive. When a woman is equally clear, she can be labelled aggressive. I’ve experienced such moments in many meetings where being direct felt like it needed softening.
A lot of this comes from years of conditioning where women were expected to be agreeable and accommodating. So, confidence can still surprise people. But I truly believe we are in a transition phase. As more women lead large teams and global platforms, confidence is being redefined. It’s increasingly seen as clarity, strength and leadership which is exactly what it is!
From ‘Lady Boss’ to Just ‘Boss’: Why Labels Matter?
There was a time when being called a lady boss felt celebratory. But if you think about it, it also implied that women leaders were somehow different or rare. Today, that framing feels unnecessary. Leadership doesn’t need a gender prefix. It’s about vision, values and the ability to inspire people. The real progress is when women in leadership are no longer seen as exceptions, but as the norm. And honestly, that shift is already underway!
