Dana Denis-Smith

The profession’s commitment to tackling gender inequality is reflected in the fact most organisations now offer remote or hybrid working (88 per cent) and part-time working (68 per cent) – both measures considered to be very effective by the women surveyed.

The research suggests focusing efforts on providing more practical support and increased flexibility would see organisations make further strides. Initiatives that women believe work well but were implemented by relatively few organisations were:

• Mentoring and coaching (less than half undertake this – 46 per cent - but 79 per cent of respondents considered it effective)
• Flexitime (only 32 per cent offer this but 79 per cent consider it effective)
• Additional support for maternity returners (only 20 per cent provide this while 72 per cent consider it an effective approach)
• Women’s networks (39 per cent ran these but 69 per cent considered them effective)

Other measures that garnered majority support but were provided by relatively few organisations employing legal professionals included financial support for childcare (offered by 5 per cent); gender diverse client teams (implemented by 12 per cent) and enhanced paternity leave (offered by 22 per cent).

External diversity pledges were considered to be the least effective measure with only 36 per cent considering them to be effective and 27 per cent considering them ineffective. While women welcomed the post-pandemic acceptance of hybrid working and considered part-time working to be an important factor in improving gender equality, fears remain about the impact such working patterns have on women’s opportunities.

Only 54 per cent were confident that work was allocated fairly between men and women in their organisation and 20 per cent believed it was not. Over half felt part-time working was detrimental to being given the best work and just over a third felt working from home was also a contributory factor to missing out. Industry-wide initiatives considered to be most effective in supporting women to progress their careers were visible role models (78 per cent), mentoring programmes (71 per cent) and sector or specialism specific representative groups for women (50 per cent).

When respondents were asked about the single change that would make most difference to improving equality for women in law, four themes emerged:

• The need for fair and transparent recruitment and promotion processes that reduce gender inequality;
• The need for accountability, with leadership taking responsibility for ensuring an inclusive workplace;
• Changes to working practices and support for working parents; and
• Societal change relating to gender stereotypes and the roles of men and women in and outside the workplace.

Dana Denis-Smith, founder of the Next 100 Years and CEO of Obelisk Support, said: “We have made real progress – the profession knows it must tackle gender inequality and the normalisation of hybrid working has been a positive step. Although there are outliers, the majority of women lawyers are working for organisations that want to see them succeed and are bringing in measures to remove any barriers.

“With organisations adopting a wide range of new initiatives, from gender blind work allocation to fertility services and menopause support, it’s time to take a step back and focus on what women are telling us really works. By thinking more strategically, law firms and other organisations can ensure efforts to improve diversity in their workforce are being channelled effectively. Our research suggests that means prioritising practical help with childcare, more truly flexible working options, targeted support for returners and wider uptake of mentoring and coaching schemes or networks.

“A worrying element of the research is that despite the obvious benefits, many women feel that more flexible working patterns limit their opportunities and that as a result, they may be missing out on the ‘best’ work. The profession must work harder when it comes to being transparent about work allocation, promotions and recruitment, making sure that there is a level playing field that doesn’t disadvantage those juggling caring commitments.”