We'll leave the question of what women want to Mel Gibson. But we can tell you what women communicators want: An end to the glass ceiling in the PR industry. According to an
annual survey by Women Executives in Public Relations (WEPR), 77% of female communications executives believe workplace equality remains a myth. When asked what it will take to
crack the glass ceiling, one respondent replied, "The CEO has to die." Macabre humor aside, most execs are optimistic for the next generation of twenty-something female PR pros,
because they believe younger men take it for granted that their female colleagues are their equals.
The survey also asked WEPR members to name the headliner woman who has been the most effective and innovative communicator of 2000. Hillary Clinton garnered 72% of the vote,
followed by Madeline Albright (45%), Martha Stewart (45%) and author J.K. Rowling (31%). And if the sentiments of WEPR members are an indication, good communication must jive
with positive public perception. In a recent Gallup poll, 19% of Americans named the first lady/senator-elect as "most admired woman." Clinton received, by far, the most votes,
followed by Oprah Winfrey and former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, who each received 4% of the vote, respectively. (Lisa Kovitz for WEPR, 212/614-5041;
Gallup, http://www.gallup.com)