Mind the (gender) gap!
Creating better gender parity makes financial sense, says Lisa McKenna, founder of McKenna & Co Solicitors.
It’s been a century for women in law. In 1922, Helena Normanton became the first practising female barrister in the UK, according to the Oxford Doctionary of National Biography, after a bit of a slog, really. Women weren’t allowed to practice law until 1919, with the removal of the Sex Disqualification Act.
Today, more than half of practising solicitors are women, and 60% make up new entrants. They work across the industry: in government, business, charity, human rights, family law, academia. Their influence in shaping the direction of the law is clear.
And yet, the imbalance in senior roles for women is prevalent. Just 35% of partners in law firms are women, according to the UK’s Law Society. Ultimately, it’s women who are forced to choose between career and family, leaving the professional ladder well before the top.
The pandemic created a workplace shift however, as digital transformation offered the same – or greater – efficiency, with more flexibility. Supporting all demographics, it allows the family load to be shared where possible.
The issue is more than just practical
Of course, the practical factors of childcare and maternity have affected women’s ability to climb into senior positions, but that’s just one aspect of gender bias.
In an FT article on the subject, one contributor argues that the issue is more nuanced than just the obvious logistics. “I have noticed that a climate of machismo has more to do with putting women off going for senior leadership positions,” argues Ann Benzimra, a Dispute Resolution Partner at Fieldfisher, recognised in the 2023 edition of Best Lawyers in the United KingdomTM. “While there has been progress, I don’t think it is happening quickly enough, and there is still a level of regressive behaviour going on.”
Sexism in the legal profession is rife according to media reports, but there are also factors such as race and class that are causing inequality. The Solicitors Regulation Authority released diversity research in 2022, which showed that there is a “significant difference in the proportion of lawyers in the UK from a comparatively ‘privileged’ background… and attendance at independent fee-paying schools.”
What’s being done?
Awareness around this issue is growing and professional organisations are striving for ways to create better parity in the legal sphere. Pay and bonus gaps between male and female staff are decreasing year on year, says the Law Society. Meanwhile, the International Bar Association (IBA) started a project a couple of years ago, aiming to uncover and address the root causes of gender discrimination at the most senior levels of the legal profession. The Gender Project’s goal is to create parity by 2030.
Perhaps surprisingly, quota setting has proven an unpopular initiative within organisations. Rather, flexible working arrangements are seen to be a more effective strategy to ensure women remain in the profession.
The gap is closing, undeniably, but more needs to be done in this industry.
The European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) says that improving gender equality would lead to an increase in EU (GDP) per capita by 6.1 to 9.6%, which amounts to €1.95 to €3.15 trillion by 2050.
It just makes financial sense.
