We’ve come a long way since the Mad Men days, when women faced an uphill battle for workplace equality. Women are now on equal footing with their male counterparts and have access to the same salaries and career advancing opportunities, right?

While we might start at the same pace, it still seems like men are sprinting out of the gate towards the C-suite and leaving women in the dust. Last week, Fortune Magazine published its Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in America – and with the list is a roster of the most powerful CEOs of our time. Only 15 out of the 500 CEOs listed are women.

That number would definitely impress the likes of Roger Sterling, but in reality, women are only making up three per cent of the list. So, what’s holding us back?

I pondered this question last week when I attended Mia Wedgbury’s session on “The Art of Storytelling” at The Judy Project – a one-week intensive forum for female executives that are on the fast track towards CEO positions. The forum exists in memory of the late Judy Elder, a respected Canadian business leader that held executive positions at Microsoft and IBM, who passed away in March 2002. In partnership with The Rotman School of Management, the mandate of The Judy Project is to help female business leaders celebrate their successes and gain the knowledge and skills to secure a seat at the boardroom table.

The talent in the room amazed me. Powerful women from industries as varied as finance and publishing shared best practices for climbing the corporate ladder; however, some women said they don’t have time for PR since it isn’t a part of their current role. Mia stressed that effective PR – opportunities that position you as a thought leader and industry advocate – benefit your organization and support your personal career goals.

Like it or not, business magazines feature more male than female CEOs on their covers. And when women have the opportunity to step into the spotlight, many down play their leadership roles and successes. This issue was a hot topic of discussion at the forum.

The debate: should women engage in proactive PR, or should the business press seek out more female CEO cover stories?