Why we’re celebrating this International Women’s Day

We work with some amazing women – and we have amazing women in our team too.

But we don’t take anything for granted! In celebration of the wonderful women in our agency and beyond, the women from High-Rise have each written a little bit about what International Women’s Day means to them. 

Helen, Managing Director

As an aspiring B Corp business, we know that only 23% of B Corps are women-owned. We want to help this number move in the right direction!

If I think of what I’ve learned through my (too many) years in communications some of the biggest learnings have been from the women I’ve worked alongside, especially in the charity sector. And a lot of the time it has been from working with them, rather than working for them.

‘People own what they create’ is one of the many things I’ve learned from Barbara-Anne Walker, Chief Executive at Ashgate Hospice, and the importance of taking the time to involve and engage your staff. 

To be a truly impactful business – as High-Rise wants to be – you’re not going to get anywhere if your culture and employee engagement isn’t right. 

It certainly seems to me that women-led organisations tend to spend more time listening to their people and taking their views on board. Of course, there are exceptions (hello Suella Braverman and the Home Office!). But I think that’s something to celebrate – and replicate – this International Women’s Day.

Sophie, Account Executive

International Women’s Day is a great day to come together to celebrate everything we’ve achieved as a woman-owned agency. We’re also thinking ahead to what we hope to achieve in the next year. I feel very grateful to work in such a collaborative space. Everyone is free to express their opinions and we’re all valued equally.

We work with a variety of clients, many of which are inspiring women in senior roles that I look up to. I’ve also had the privilege of meeting many strong fundraisers for various charities we work with. They show the empowerment that being a woman holds. Belinda Neild, fundraiser at St Ann’s Hospice, is just one of the many examples of how much you can achieve when you put your mind to it. She blows everyone expectations out of the water every time she takes on a new challenge!

Teagan, Social Media Manager

International Women’s Day is a great opportunity to reflect on the many incredible achievements of women and celebrate their successes!

I am so grateful for the influential women around me, both at work and in my personal life. They continue to inspire, motivate and support me. 

Working alongside the High-Rise team has been an amazing opportunity. High-Rise is a woman-owned company and I have been lucky enough to meet some exceptionally talented women who I look up to. 

There really is no limit to what we as women can accomplish!

Liv, Account Executive

As a recent graduate, I am lucky enough to not yet have faced too much discrimination in the world of PR. I have luckily never missed out on a job or opportunity to a male counterpart. I am well aware that PR as an industry is heavily dominated by women – 64% of employees are women! 

However, I worry that gender discrimination may become more prevalent as I progress throughout my career. Senior and managerial roles in PR tend to be more male-dominated. Around 70% of top positions in the industry being held by men. Especially with women being more likely to take time off for life events such as pregnancy or the menopause… 17% of women leave employment completely in the five years after giving birth, in comparison to only 4% of men. What shocks me the most about these differences, is that women comprise almost 50% of our country’s workforce. Yet, so many find themselves in lower paying, lower management roles.

In saying all of this, when I was studying PR at Sheffield Hallam, there was only one male student in my cohort. Also, out of the two agencies I have worked at, both have female Directors (which I love!). Even when I worked in-house, we only had one male on a team of about twelve. So perhaps times are changing – albeit slowly. But it’s important to remember, especially on International Women’s Day, to look back at the journey women have had, including having to fight for the right to work.

We are incredibly lucky to work with some inspiring women-ran companies at High-Rise. It is only fitting to mention DWG’s CEO, Nancy Goebel, and Chief Marketing Officer, Kate Algar, who are both brilliant examples of successful women taking a male-dominated industry by storm.

To find out more about how we can help boost your organisations profile, get in touch with us here.