If you know anything about the communications and PR industry, then you know that it’s professionals are predominantly women. When I logged into my required Digital Marketing course for my PR minor for the first time a couple weeks ago and found that 95% of the small faces staring back at me on the screen were female or female presenting, I wasn’t shocked.
A study published in Public Relations Review found that as of 2019, women made up 75% of the PR industry, hence the gender imbalance within the classroom. However, this same study found that women make up only 20% of those leadership positions and 30% of global executives. Face value, these numbers may seem discouraging, but It’s important to reflect on the strides that women have already accomplished. After all, it wasn’t easy climbing the cooperate ladder in the face of intense workplace discrimination, nor was it easy to do so in heels.
In honor of the recent passing of the renowned champion of women’s rights Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, I give you three fundamental ways in which the “Notorious RGB” changed the way the office worked for women. I know for sure, without her, I would not be where I am today.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg…
- Made it illegal to discriminate based on sex regarding state benefits. In Weinberger v. Wiesenfeld (1975), Ginsburg challenged the state’s gender based social security system which prevented men from receiving dependency status for children. The case liberated women from the domestic sphere by challenging traditional gender norms and ensuring the incomes of families with working mothers.
- Founded the Women’s Rights Project at the ACLU. After a lengthy legal career, Ginsburg and her contemporary feminist icons created the Women’s Rights Project through the ACLU in 1972 in the hopes of becoming a permanent resource and advocate for women’s rights and a means of legal recourse in the event of discrimination. The WRP, as it is known, was instrumental in gaining many of the rights women hold in the office today, including the right to equal retirement benefits for men and women and the right to the same insurance policies and cost.
- Ensured Equal Admission in State Funded Educational Institutions. Ginsburg, a Supreme Court Justice at the time, wrote the deciding opinion that eliminated sex based discrimination for admission to educational facilities with state funding. Ginsburg rejected the notion that men and women learned differently and paved the way into academic fields for generations of young women to come. Not only were women welcomed into the Naval Academy for the first time, but now they make up most of my digital marketing class.
Of course, this list is not extensive. We will likely continue to feel the impacts of RBG’s legacy for years to come as women continue to push barriers and demand a seat at the table. As someone in the business of speaking on behalf of the public, I believe our job has never been more important than it is now. As Public Relations professionals it is our imperative to model civic duty and act as a resource for others to do as well. We must protect that legacy and ensure diversity remains a priority within our own agencies and the companies they represent.
So, in between those pumpkin-spiced latte breaks and Halloween movie marathons, take a moment to reflect on the ways in which you impact the experiences of others within the workplace. If you do nothing else, go vote this November. Tell them Ruth sent you!