Well beh(ai)ved women seldom make history or get cut-through in these noisy times

It’s Women’s History Month and we’ve already read a flurry of content from International Women’s Day. 

Yet the age of AI, the famous ’70s slogan ‘Well behaved women seldom make history’ has never been more relevant. This March and way beyond.

AI is reshaping how people find information and form opinions. Reports, including from the United Nations Development Programme, show that generative AI is quietly reinforcing harmful gender stereotypes, shaping how we see the world and ourselves. 

It’s a fact that AI male bias occurs when systems trained on historically skewed, male-dominated data, or developed by predominantly male teams, reinforce stereotypes that privilege men and undervalue women.

Hearing women's voices in the AI world

So, if having our voices heard as women was hard before - especially women on the way up – then AI will make even tougher. 

For us communicators, we’re already seeing how traditional media, from press releases to news coverage, are critical to shaping how people and businesses show up in AI models. 

Even in our industry, the gap is clear. 

Late last year, the CIPR published the first UK-wide analysis of public relations practitioners. Revealing the national differences in gender representation at senior levels and confirming that practitioner numbers have grown by 53% since 2011. It led the CIPR’s CEO Alastair McCapra to say we need to “build a more representative and inclusive industry”. Ensuring ‘our profession is one where talent can flourish regardless of background or location’.

So how can we equip women and girls who don’t always have the time, confidence, support or networks to tell their story in a way that cuts through? 

The message of possibility is a powerful one.

I’m the relatively new female leader of Hotwire, a tech focused City-based global marketing and PR agency also co-founded by a woman 25 years ago.

Think like a queen

With over 20 years of graduate programmes, in-house and agency roles under my belt, what advice do I give to my junior team over a matcha, the new female members of my SLT, or to clients and contacts who are starting out, returning after maternity leave or dusting themselves down after they’ve suffered a setback?

As multi-millionaire Oprah Winfrey once said: "Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.”

My advice to those who want to find their voice is not to stick to what you know; to follow the rules of the world you inherited. 

As the Towie legend Gemma Collins said: “I don’t do boring, huns”.

Day to day, back your instincts when pushing an agenda through. You don’t need to be the loudest in the room but the smartest. Reading the audience, their energy, who is talking to or talking past each other. Also being consistent in delivering your message. A friendly face and warm and authentic leader always celebrating the success of other women. 

We’ve got to see tech as a force for good. Having positive intentions for one another as we collaborate to get ahead.

Reputation, relationships and revenue go hand in hand, so supporting emerging talent and first jobbers – aka the stars of the future – is a perk of our jobs. When we think crisis, we think female. And in this chaotic man’s world, our voices need to be heard more than ever. 

Charlotte Harvey is the UK MD of Hotwire.

Further reading

Guardian columnist Sali Hughes: ‘Nobody loves PR professionals more than I do’

Five neurodiversity TV shows for Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Vulnerability versus visibility: Why charities struggle to talk about challenges