Diversity initiatives appear to be paying off, with over eight out of ten female lawyers saying they feel positive about their future in the profession, according to our new research conducted in advance of International Women’s Day.
We surveyed a cross-section of 65 lawyers from our extensive network on topics relating to gender equality within the law. We found that 88% of lawyers feel positive about their future as a female in the law, with a further 10% feeling neutral.
However, only two-thirds (63%) of lawyers said felt they have equal opportunity as a female in their law firm. In addition, half of the respondents said they felt they’d been discriminated against because of their gender and 39% said they didn’t feel there was enough female representation at the top of their law firm.
We have recently published the results of the research in full in a new infographic which can be downloaded here.
Kelly Reid, Associate Director and Private Client Team Lead comments:
“It’s really pleasing to see that so many female lawyers have such a positive outlook for their legal careers. However, there is still a significant gender pay gap of 25.4% within the profession and just 35% of partners are female, so there’s certainly still room for improvement, especially when it comes to helping more women climb the career ladder.
“At Realm Recruit, we believe that everyone should be able to have a successful and fulfilling legal career no matter who you are and where you come from. From championing fair pay, providing female lawyers with a platform and strongly advocating for flexible working arrangements, we work hard to level the playing field during the legal recruitment process.
“Employers can also play their part by focusing on performance when determining pay and promotion and being transparent about career paths and pay. By taking these steps, we can all work to reduce the gender disparity within the sector and help more female lawyers fulfil their potential and secure leadership positions.”
