Pink Ghetto: Corporate Communications Managers in Turkey

This study aims to analyse gender-based discrimination in the field of corporate communications management by means of a critical analysis on the profiles of the professionals in Turkey. The practice of both public relations and corporate communications monitor and maintain an organization’s communication processes with its publics. Public relations as a profession emerged in early 20th century and the feminization in the field attracted attention by 1970s. Feminization of a profession occurs when the number of women workers rises disproportionately with respect to men. Along with feminization, the profession is perceived to require essentially feminine qualities which are loaded with gender ideology. Corporate communications management seems to follow its precedent public relations practice in becoming a feminized profession. A micro analysis of corporate communications manager’ profiles based on BIST100 firms and LınkedIn profiles confirmed that %69 of the professionals in the field are actually women in Turkey.