When we speak of a communication founder, the first thought goes to a super polite, amazing storyteller, and all of the above, with a woman doing the job (or at least my first instinct goes to a woman behind all of this). Though today’s narratives are equally divided between genders, PR strategists are people with a sharp understanding of brand voice and public perception.
Our amazing contributor for Women’s Day story series, Manauti Walecha, Founder, Communication Casa, will shed light on the side that she founded in the PR industry regarding female presence.
Entry- and mid-level PR roles are heavily female, but numbers drop sharply at senior leadership. Are women leaving, or are they being overlooked?
PR industry has largely females than males at the entry and mid-level but when it comes to leadership roles, males dominate. This is not because the females are incapable; it is because trust, access and sponsorship are overlooked in females. Females are always under a “prove-it-again” lens or face scrutiny – “Do you really deserve it?” or “How will you balance home and leadership?”. These doubts are rarely placed with the same intensity on their male counterparts. The gap is not about ambition; it is about opportunity pipelines. Leadership parity will not happen organically. It requires organisations to intentionally sponsor women, trust them with revenue and decision-making roles, and create clear pathways that move them from execution-heavy positions into strategic leadership.
Career breaks, caregiving responsibilities, and inflexible leadership expectations. Are leadership models designed around male career trajectories?
Yes, traditional leadership models were built around male career trajectories — assuming uninterrupted careers and 24×7 availability, at a time when women were largely seen as primary caregivers. But leadership today cannot be defined by presence alone. Women are equally capable of leading at the highest levels when supported by progressive workplace policies and strong personal ecosystems.
It’s time to redesign leadership around performance and impact — not outdated assumptions about availability.
Assertive women are labelled “aggressive,” while similar behavior in men is seen as “decisive.” Why do you think confidence is often perceived as arrogance?
A clear bias remains in how men’s and women’s confidence is interpreted. When men are clear and direct, it is considered leadership strength, but when women are the same, it is considered aggression. The perception stems from the deeply ingrained conditioning that society has around how women are “expected” to be. This is ironic because in PR, which focuses entirely on communication and positioning, women’s voices are not always their own.
From ‘Lady Boss’ to Just ‘Boss’: Why Labels Matter?
There is a growing trend to remove gendered titles and simply say “Just the Boss.” While the intent behind gender neutrality is valid, I believe, we should not ignore the journey behind women’s leadership. Being a woman is not separate from leadership — it shapes how we think, lead, and make decisions. Many women have reached the top by breaking stereotypes and overcoming bias. To say gender played no role in that journey would ignore the barriers that had to be crossed.
As the Lady Boss of Communication Casa, I do not hesitate to own the title. I want people to know the journey, the challenges, and the stereotypes I had to break to get here.
Being a “Lady Boss” is not about creating division. It is about taking pride in the journey. It means we are not trying to fit into a leadership model made for men — we are reshaping it. We are proving that strength and sensitivity can exist together in leadership.
