Women lawyers are paid 21% less than men, the Women and Work Commission said this week - more than the national pay gap of 13% - prompting a call for compulsory gender pay audits for all organisations employing female solicitors.

The commission said the gap was despite 'gender segregation' in the profession breaking down in the 1990s to a larger extent than in previous decades, meaning that nearly half of the profession is now female.


The official statistics back up earlier Law Society findings. A 2004 salary survey of 790 solicitors found that across private practice, men earned an average of £55,000, compared to £35,125 for women. The gap was far smaller, but still existed, for employed solicitors.


Among 40 recommendations to tackle the culture in schools and workplaces that create job segregation and leave women lagging behind men in the pay stakes, the commission said the government should establish a UK-wide 'quality part-time work change initiative'.


This would support moves to achieve a culture change so that more senior jobs - particularly in the skilled occupations and the professions - are open to part-time and flexible working.


Boma Ozobia, chairwoman of the Association of Women Solicitors, welcomed the report: 'It certainly does not surprise me that the gender pay gap in the legal sector is even worse than average and this report only serves to highlight what we have been saying all along.


'This is why urgent measures must be put in place to address this inequity, particularly compulsory gender pay audits for all law firms and other organisations where female solicitors are employed, and flexible working as a rule rather than the exception.'


Law Society chief executive Janet Paraskeva added: 'In 2004, the Society's own research found that the average salary for women assistant solicitors was £13,000 less than for men. Women's choice of work may explain some differences, but we can't discount that some discrimination is taking place. The Society recently undertook an audit of the pay of its staff to ensure that no discrimination was present and we would encourage law firms to do the same.'


Among the flexible working initiatives put forward by the commission were: Web-based matching for those wanting and offering part-time or job-share roles; job-share services to put potential partners in 'high-quality' occupations in touch; consultancy services to embed part-time work; and e-networks for senior and professional women.


The commission also said part-time workers and those on career breaks should receive pro-rata treatment for membership fees, and discounts from training providers for continuous professional development, 'to support the retention of women in the professions'.