Only two in 10 law firm leaders are women and the global justice landscape is led mostly by men from high-income countries, according to research published today – prompting the deputy vice president of the Law Society to demand a greater public commitment to gender equality.
Today’s report from gender equality thinktank Global 50/50, Gender Injustice, found that women constitute 43% of 5,224 ‘power holders’, which include arbitrators, board members, deputy directors, justices and prosecutors. However, sector-specific data shows they represent 37% of power holders in law firms - and only 20% of leaders.
A quarter of firms had a public commitment to gender equality, but most of these commitments were found on the pro bono pages of their websites. Seven in 10 firms had published policies on gender equality for staff – but only four in 10 had policies with specific measures to improve gender equality at senior management or partnership level.
A third of the highest offices are held by men from the UK and US. Women from middle-income countries represent 8% of the highest office holders. Women from low-income countries represent only 1% of those at the top.
On why women's role in justice matters, María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés, former president of the UN General Assembly, said the law reaches into communities, workplaces and homes, but 'when inequality exists within systems designed to deliver justice, their legitimacy and the trust they depend on are called into question'.
Dana Denis-Smith, the Society’s deputy vice president and founder of the Next 100 Years women in law project, said: ‘We know the importance of female leadership in the justice sector and while it is clear gender equality is improving, we are still not seeing enough women at the highest levels of the profession. This is true in the UK and, as this report shows, at a global level. It highlights why representation matters. Having women at the table means better decision making, improves trust and makes for more inclusive workplaces.
‘More needs to be done to tackle this issue, with legal organisations making a public commitment to gender equality and ensuring that they have the policies in place to remove obstacles for women in the law as well as investing in the data collection and transparency needed to track progress.’
Garcés said the report comes at a defining moment: 'Against geopolitical tensions, weakening of independence of judicial systems, backlash against women’s rights, and waning trust in institutions, justice organisations must live the values they defend. This is how institutions earn confidence and sustain legitimacy.'
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