Does Gender Matter in PR?

I just read a rather shocking post by James Chartrand over on Copyblogger and it has really made me think about the role gender plays in promotion.

I’d suggest you go read the post first, but if you don’t have time, the long and short of it is that James Chartrand is not a man, but a woman. If you’re a fan of Men with Pens, or even Copyblogger, where James is a frequent blogger, this probably comes as a pretty big shock to you, as it did to many others this morning.

James Chartrand, the girl behind James

The reason James (her real name isn’t given) used a man’s name for many years online, was simply because it worked. When she applied for jobs as a work at home mom and later as just a woman, she got flack, low payment and disrespect. As a male, she was respected, paid better and treated better. Coincidence? I think not.

We live in a world that is predominantly macho. While Westernized countries tend to hide this fact and supposedly treat women better, many countries, including the one I live in, simply accept that the man is better and therefore should be respected. And, obviously, this sentiment is still running through first world countries, as well, despite the fact it is well buried.

What does this mean for PR? Do women have to fight for the same respect and positions that men hold? Are men automatically going to be able to promote businesses better? What are your thoughts?