Communications Leaders Reflect on the Meaning of International Women’s Day

As International Women’s Day approaches, communications leaders share personal reflections on mentorship, trust, leadership, and the evolving role women play in shaping narrative and influence across business, media, and society.

International Women’s Day has evolved into a powerful global moment to reflect on leadership, opportunity, and progress. As the observance marks its 115th anniversary in 2026, organizations, institutions, and communities around the world are using the day to recognize the contributions women make across industries, culture, and civic life.

For communications professionals, the moment carries particular significance. The profession sits at the intersection of narrative, credibility, and influence, and women play a central role in shaping how organizations are understood by employees, investors, media, and the public. From guiding corporate reputation to shaping cultural conversations, communicators help determine which stories are heard and how organizations connect with the people they serve.

To mark the occasion, CommPRO asked communications leaders a simple question: what makes International Women’s Day an important moment to recognize women’s leadership in the profession?

Their reflections reveal a shared theme. While International Women’s Day is a moment of celebration, it is also a reminder of the responsibility communicators carry every day to shape trust, elevate voices, and guide organizations through an increasingly complex information environment.

For some leaders, the significance of the moment extends beyond professional recognition and speaks to a broader vision of progress and shared responsibility.

Patrice Tanaka, Founder and Chief Joy Officer of Joyful Planet LLC and Joyful Planet Foundation, views gender equity as one of the most important shifts society can achieve.

“#IWD2026 asks what will you #GiveToGain gender equity? I would sacrifice my life to achieve #genderequity because it is the most important shift in civilization that would benefit women and all humankind. I believe women, our primary caretakers and birth givers, would fight tooth and nail to protect people and planet and prioritize them over "profit."  Sending children to war is not a solution we would easily choose. And this higher level of care and consciousness is what we sorely need now to heal ourselves, our communities, and our world before it is too late. ”

The 2026 global theme for International Women’s Day, Give to Gain, emphasizes the idea that mentorship, collaboration, and advocacy create shared progress. In many ways, that philosophy reflects how careers often develop within the communications profession.

Maryam Banikarim, Host of The Messy Parts Podcast, Co-Founder of NYCNext and The Interval, and Chair of the Wall Street Journal Institute CMO Council, believes the day shines a light on the people who quietly shape public narratives every day.

“To my mind, every day is International Women’s Day,” Banikarim says. “That said, I’m game for any powerful moment that spotlights the women who shape narratives, build trust, and guide how organizations show up in the world. In the world of comms in particular, they’re often behind the scenes making others shine, so they deserve their own spotlight too.”

That influence is not always visible from the outside. Communications professionals often work behind the scenes translating strategy into narrative and ensuring organizations speak with clarity and purpose.

Chanel Cathey, Founder and CEO of CJC Insights, believes the field’s impact is frequently underestimated.

“International Women’s Day is an important moment to recognize women’s leadership in communications, because women often shape how brands, businesses, people, and ideas are seen and understood,” Cathey says. “Our storytelling drives culture and the economy forward. Too often communications is overlooked as a critical function, even though it determines how messages reach the world.”

The role of communicators is expanding as new technologies reshape how information is created and shared. Valerie (Merahn) Simon, Chief Marketing Officer of Christian Health, says this transformation makes communications leadership even more essential.

“For many years, I have viewed International Women’s Day as an opportunity to recognize the women who have shaped the communications profession and the leaders guiding it forward,” Simon says. “At this moment, when artificial intelligence is transforming how information is created and shared, communications is no longer just about crafting messages but about safeguarding trust while accelerating progress. The women leading our field have an opportunity to help ensure technology advances insight and innovation without reinforcing historic bias.”

Inside organizations, communications leadership also plays a vital role in shaping culture and connection. Cat Colella-Graham, an internal communications professional and adjunct professor, says women often lead the work of aligning internal dialogue with organizational mission.

“International Women’s Day is a pivotal moment to recognize how women lead the charge in both external branding and internal communications,” Colella-Graham says. “By championing transparent and empathetic internal dialogue, women leaders ensure that a company’s mission is lived from the inside out, not just for optics. We have a long way to go, but we have come far together.”

The ability to elevate voices is another defining responsibility of the profession. Linda Descano, Global Chief Integration and Marketing Officer at HAVAS Red Network, says communications leaders play an important role in shaping who is heard.

“In our field we are the ones who give voice to those in power,” Descano says. “But we also hold the responsibility and the power to elevate the voices of those who lack agency, especially the women of all ages, levels, and backgrounds whose perspectives too often remain unheard.”

KayAnn P. Schoeneman, President of Curley Company, sees International Women’s Day as an opportunity to acknowledge that influence.

“Communications shapes whose voices are heard and which stories are trusted,” Schoeneman says. “International Women’s Day is a moment to recognize the women doing that work every day with judgment, influence, and care.”

For many professionals, communications has also been a field where mentorship and collaboration shape careers. Moon Kim, Executive Vice President and Practice Lead at M Booth, credits the women leaders who helped guide her professional path.

“My own 20-plus year journey has been fueled by fierce women leaders, from my first boss Idil Cakim to my mentor Margi Booth and growth advocate Dale Bornstein,” Kim says. “They prove that advocacy and emotional intelligence are powerful career catalysts. Those qualities remain essential currency in business, allowing us to craft compelling narratives, conceive breakthrough programs, and build relationships that technology simply cannot replicate.”

Jennifer Riedinger, Senior Vice President of Reputation at MikeWorldWide, says International Women’s Day provides a moment to recognize that leadership while continuing to support the next generation.

“It’s an important moment to celebrate the leadership, creativity, and impact women bring to the communications profession,” Riedinger says. “Equity is front and center every day through the female leaders who shape our work, our culture, and the industry around us. It’s also a chance to continue lifting up the next generation of women in communications.”

Silvia Davi, President and Co-Founder of V&S Strategic Consulting, says collaboration among women leaders has been central to her own professional journey.

“I’m continually inspired by the power of women who support, mentor, and champion one another to help create a more level playing field in the professional world,” Davi says. “On International Women’s Day, we celebrate the women who lead, innovate, and shape the conversations that move industries forward.”

New media platforms are also expanding opportunities for women to shape public dialogue. Cary Broussard, Founder of Broussard Global Communications and author of From Cinderella to CEO, points to the growing number of women building independent media voices.

“About 40 percent of journalists today are women, though leadership roles in media remain mostly male,” Broussard says. “Today roughly one-third of podcasts are hosted by women. Platforms like Substack allow women to build independent media brands without traditional newsrooms, creating new opportunities for voices to be heard.”

Despite strong representation across the communications profession, leadership gaps remain a persistent challenge.

Stephanie Jo Peksen, Senior Account Executive at Notified and Co-Chair of the 2026 PRSA-NY Big Apple Awards, notes that women make up nearly 70 percent of the U.S. public relations workforce while leadership roles and pay equity still lag.

“International Women’s Day is a reminder of both the progress we’ve made and the work still ahead,” Peksen says. “I’m committed to helping create space where women’s contributions are recognized, valued, and reflected at every level.”

Filomena Fanelli, CEO and Founder of Impact PR & Communications, believes visibility itself can help accelerate that progress.

“Celebrate what you want to see more of,” Fanelli says. “Shining a light on the accomplishments of women in communications helps future female leaders rise and know we’ll be in their corner.”

For Dawn Kelly, Co-founder and CEO of The Nourish Spot, communications leadership extends far beyond messaging into entrepreneurship and community impact.

“Women communicators aren’t just shaping messages,” Kelly says. “We’re shaping culture, community, and opportunity.”

Across industries, International Women’s Day has become a major communications moment in its own right. Media intelligence analysis from Truescope shows organizations increasingly using the observance to spotlight women founders, executives, creators, and innovators while connecting brand storytelling to leadership and mentorship.

For the communications professionals guiding those narratives, the day offers an opportunity not only to celebrate progress but also to recognize the women helping shape how organizations communicate with the world.

The conversation will continue later this month during CommPRO’s Women’s History Month virtual town hall with CommunicationsMatch, where communications professionals will gather for an open discussion about leadership, reputation, and the evolving role of communicators in a rapidly changing media environment.