Global Women In PR

What Global Women In PR does

Global Women in PR (GWPR) is a London-headquartered not-for-profit membership organisation founded in 2015 by Sue Hardwick and Angela Oakes. Its functional purpose is to connect, champion, and support women in senior public relations and communications roles through a global network of national groups spanning the UK, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Central America, Australia, and Asia. The organisation operates with 1-10 staff and a distributed, volunteer-driven chapter model rather than proprietary technology.

GWPR's product portfolio centres on three recurring offerings: (1) the GWPR Annual Index, an annual research publication produced in partnership with insight agency Opinium that surveys women in PR across more than 20 countries on flexible working, leadership representation, harassment, and DE&I priorities; (2) the GWPR Empower programme, a selective cross-border mentoring scheme for cohorts of roughly 25 mid-career women that includes monthly virtual sessions involving participants from 15 countries, industry masterclasses, panel discussions, and a thought leadership project; and (3) the Inside Stories virtual event series featuring senior communications leaders discussing topics including leadership, AI in PR, and climate communication. Supporting channels include a monthly email newsletter, LinkedIn and social media presence, and active participation in industry events such as Cannes Lions and Communications Week. National groups and affiliates provide regional distribution and member engagement, with new groups in development for Spain and Denmark.

Revenue is generated primarily through annual individual and corporate membership fees on a subscription/recurring basis, augmented by sponsorship and partner support from organisations such as Zeno Group, Red Havas, Markettiers, Notified, and Shout. The organisation is structured as a nonprofit under English law (England and Wales), with no external investors or parent company, governed by its co-founder and an International Board chaired by Cornelia Kunze. Industry recognition includes the 2021 induction of its co-founders into the ICCO Hall of Fame and the 2024 PRovoke Media Individual Achievement SABRE Award. Following the March 2023 passing of co-founder Angela Oakes, governance has continued under co-founder Sue Hardwick as Joint President.

Name

Global Women In PR

Legal name

Global Women in PR

Website

https://globalwpr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Global Women in PR (GWPR) is a London-based not-for-profit membership organisation that connects, champions, and supports women in senior PR and communications roles through a global network of 12+ national groups, the Annual Index research publication, and the Empower mentoring programme.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association and Membership Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Social Media & Community Management (PR-led) (BPAFADAM)

Keywords

• Professional women networking
• PR membership organisation
• Communications mentoring program
• PR industry research
• Women in leadership

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from individual women in PR and Communications, and corporate/organizational memberships. GWPR is a not-for-profit membership organization.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Global Women in PR (GWPR) is a not-for-profit global membership organisation that connects, champions, and supports women in senior PR and Communications roles through individual and corporate memberships. Its paid/contributed offerings include access to the worldwide chapter network, the GWPR Annual Index research benchmark (produced with Opinium), the GWPR Empower cross-border mentoring programme for mid-career women, the Inside Stories virtual event series, and a monthly newsletter.

Product overview

Global Women In PR is a not-for-profit membership networking organisation offering a portfolio of products and services focused on connecting, championing, and supporting women in senior PR and Communications roles globally. The core offerings include the GWPR Annual Index (annual research survey), GWPR Empower (cross-border mentorship programme), Inside Stories (virtual event series), monthly newsletters, and a global network of national groups and affiliates across multiple continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GWPR Annual Index Annual research survey conducted in partnership with Opinium that tracks and measures the position of women working in the PR and Communications industry globally, covering flexible working, leadership representation, harassment, and DE&I priorities; the 2025 edition captured voices of women from more than 20 countries.
• GWPR Empower Exclusive cross-border mentoring and leadership programme for a selection of 25 mid-career women in PR, featuring monthly virtual mentoring sessions involving women from 15 countries, masterclasses from industry experts on leadership skills, business management, and career planning, plus panel discussions, thought leadership projects, and international networking.
• Inside Stories Recurring virtual event series featuring senior communications leaders in conversation format discussing industry topics, transformational journeys, and leadership insights.
• GWPR Newsletter Monthly email newsletter featuring international events, reports from GWPR National Groups, and latest news on the Annual Index and Empower mentorship scheme.
• GWPR Membership (individual and corporate) Individual and corporate membership in a worldwide network of national PR women groups spanning the UK, Germany, Italy, Romania, France, MENA, Ghana, Mexico, Singapore, Australia, India, and Wales, with forthcoming groups in Spain and Denmark.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered supporting, key and core.

• MarkettierssupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 May 2022Leading broadcast specialists for brand storytelling with more than two decades of innovation. Supporting GWPR to champion diversity in PR leadership positions.
• Red HavaskeyGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2022Global PR, social and experiential agency micro-network. Part of Havas PR Global Collective with approximately 40 PR agencies and 1,300+ employees. More than half of Red Havas global leadership positions are held by women.
• Zeno GroupkeyGTM or Marketing Partner · 10 December 2021Award-winning integrated global communications agency with offices across North America, Europe and Asia. Key partner supporting GWPR's growth with more than half of its global leadership positions held by women.
• OpiniumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic insight agency partnership for the GWPR Annual Index research. Opinium conducts annual surveys tracking the position of women in PR globally, measuring trends in flexible working, leadership representation, harassment, and DE&I priorities.
• ICCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Communications Consultancy Organisation partnership. GWPR founders inducted into ICCO Hall of Fame. ICCO supports GWPR's mission and GWPR participates in ICCO Global Summits.
• PRCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional association providing discounted membership to GWPR members. GWPR co-founder supported ICCO's PRCA activities including Ukraine Communication Support Network.
• NotifiedsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a partner/supporter on GWPR website, contributing to support of the organization's initiatives.
• ShoutsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a supporter on GWPR website, contributing to support of the organization's initiatives.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• PRovoke Media (formerly The Holmes Report): Global PR industry media brand that publishes research, awards (SABRE Awards), and industry intelligence. Directly awarded GWPR's founders with SABRE Awards and is a recurring industry touchpoint for GWPR's leadership.
• PRWeek: Leading global PR industry publication covering news, analysis, awards, and events. Comparable as adjacent industry media that GWPR engages with for visibility and awards recognition.
• Ragan Communications: Media, training, and events company serving PR and corporate communications professionals globally. Comparable as an enabling ecosystem participant providing content, training, and events that overlap with GWPR's professional development programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Page Society: Invited membership organization of senior PR and corporate communications leaders, focused on advancing the profession. Comparable as a senior-tier PR leadership network with selective membership and thought-leadership programming.
• Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR): UK professional body awarding chartered status to PR practitioners. Comparable as a UK-headquartered professional membership organization serving the PR industry, though broader in scope than GWPR's women-focused mission.
• International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO): Global trade body representing PR consultancies worldwide. GWPR's founders were inducted into its Hall of Fame and ICCO co-hosts GWPR events at Cannes Lions, positioning it as a key industry incumbent adjacent to GWPR's mission.
• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC): Global membership association for business communication professionals, offering credentials, networking, and chapter-based local groups. Comparable structure to GWPR's chapter-based international model, though not women-specific.
• Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA): UK-based trade association for the PR and communications industry, offering discounted GWPR memberships to its members. Broader incumbent that serves the entire PR profession rather than a women-focused niche.

Direct peers

• Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT): U.S.-based nonprofit advancing women in the cable/telecommunications industry via leadership programs, mentoring, and chapter-based networking. Closely analogous model to GWPR (industry-specific women's membership network with mentoring).
• New York Women in Communications (NYWICI): Long-standing U.S. nonprofit membership organization advancing women across communications disciplines (PR, journalism, marketing). Directly comparable mission, membership model, and event/mentoring programming to GWPR, and explicitly named as a GWPR collaborative partner.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GlobalWPR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-women-in-pr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Women In PR