AWS in gender pledge

The Association of Women Solicitors (AWS) must not ignore the needs of male solicitors, its new chairwoman said this week.

Fiona Muxlow, an employment assistant at City firm Taylor Wessing, said she wanted to discover why so many solicitors of both genders left the profession at a young age.

In conjunction with the Law Society, the AWS is to conduct nationwide research this year, contacting all female solicitors who have not renewed their practising certificates.

Next year, the project will be repeated, contacting all male solicitors.

'This is an issue which is relevant for male and female solicitors, and once we discover the reasons why so many of them leave the profession, we can try to address those problems,' she said.

Ms Muxlow is currently on a year's break from her firm to concentrate on AWS work, and she stressed that many female solicitors want flexible working hours and career breaks for reasons apart from childcare.

'There is some resentment within the profession at the amount of legislation there is to support women with childcare commitments,' Ms Muxlow said.

She gave as an example the legislation coming into force next month which means that employers are obliged to consider all requests for flexible working arrangements.

The AWS plans to research how successful this proves to be.

Ms Muxlow said she is 'not convinced' that the rules will have a huge impact, as they only require employers to consider - rather than grant - requests.

Victoria MacCallum